Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 38 ℃ | Low: 27 ℃ | Mostly sunny for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Fort St. George, built in 1644, is the oldest British building in India.
🛍️ Promoting sustainable living
The fifth edition of Naturally Chennai will showcase organic and eco-friendly products.
What’s it about? Green Goddesses announced the fifth edition of Naturally Chennai, the shopping festival to promote sustainable living. On display and for sale will be a range of eco-friendly, organic, and handcrafted products.
- The festival will be a launchpad for homemade entrepreneurs to showcase their range of cosmetics, fashion accessories, garden products, etc.
- The festival will also include an award ceremony, the Green Awards. It will recognise individuals and companies that have contributed toward sustainability.
History: The group was formed in 2019 by Nina Reddy, Preethi Thiagharajan, Jayshree Vivek, Manju Mudit, and Anju Agarwal to foster sustainability across several sectors including rainwater harvesting, waste management, and consumer products.
🐕 Poor response to pet licensing
The Tambaram Corporation’s online pet license programme has received a lukewarm response.
What’s it about? The online pet licensing portal was launched on May 23. So far, only 317 licences have been issued out of 503 applications. The Tambaram Corporation’s health department hoped to issue about 2,000 licenses in the first phase. The last date for applications is June 20.
- Many applications were rejected because owners didn’t submit recent anti-rabies vaccination certificates. Some owners submitted incorrect details about their zone.
- The Corporation plans to launch campaign drives to educate pet owners about the licensing requirement, the application process, and their benefits.
What are others saying? Residents want the Corporation to have a database for stray pets. There hasn’t been a dog census in the zone since 2021. Activists have also called for animal birth control programmes or a sterilisation process with the help of local NGOs.
🏞️ Hand over Pallikaranai to the forest department
Residents of the southern suburbs have asked the Chennai Corporation to transfer the Pallikaranai marshland to the Forest Department.
What’s it about? To help restore and conserve the Ramsar heritage marshland, the Alliance of Resident Welfare Associations (AoRWA) met on Sunday to discuss a plan of action. They’ve requested the Chennai Corporation to hand over the Pallikaranai marshland to the forest department.
- The Corporation said it would maintain its portion of the marshland. It wants to build solid waste management infrastructure and an eco-park on the marsh after reclaiming the Perungudi dump yard.
- The Corporation is unwilling to hand over 170 hectares of the marshland to the forest department, based on a report submitted to the National Green Tribunal last month.
Opposition by residents: The eco-park proposal has been criticised by locals and environmentalists. They say the soil quality will be disturbed and will lead to more encroachments and garbage generation.
🎓 More foreign faculty and students
Anna University has plans to hire more foreign faculty and attract foreign students.
What’s it about? With the university’s improved rankings this year, it has decided to bring in more foreign faculty and foreign students. The university ranked amongst the top 10 in the country and 400 globally by the London-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
- One area it looks to improve is in international faculty and student ratios. It scored only 1:3 in the latter. To improve admissions of foreign students, it has lowered their fees and promoted the university through cultural portals.
- The campus currently has 80 foreign students. The 50% fee waiver is for those who join any course except the BTech in computer science, IT, and ECE.
Outreach: The university is working with international faculties as part of research collaborations. The hope is that by bringing them to campus, Indian students will gain better exposure.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Does your locality have adequate parking space?
- My locality has adequate parking space.
- My locality doesn’t have adequate parking space.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
If you could have a themed birthday party, what would it be?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Chennai Metro Rail has awarded tenders for advertising to increase non-fare revenue.
- There’s frequent traffic congestion at Koyambedu as bus drivers park on the main road.
- The Besant Nagar promenade is being cleaned up with additional sewage pumping stations planned.
- Vegetable prices at wholesale markets have increased due to short supply.
- The fifth bomb threat in two weeks forces the Chennai Airport to tighten security.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I enjoy watching horror movies: 81.8% 🏆
- I don’t enjoy watching horror movies: 18.2%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What sport(s) did you play as a kid?
Suchi: “Badminton”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!