Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 34 ℃ | Low: 25 ℃ | Clear and sunny skies.
🧐 Did you know? Queen Mary’s College was the first government college to go in for accreditation by NAAC and was accredited with ‘4-star status’ in 1999.
😷 Toxic air
A new report stated nitrogen dioxide levels in Chennai exceeded the WHO’s permissible limits.
What’s it about? A 2023 report from Greenpeace India showed nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in Chennai’s air was twice the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines. The levels exceeded the limits at all the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring stations (CAAQM) except Perungudi.
- Alandur recorded the highest concentration of 57 micrograms per cubic metre. The highest average was at the Alandur Bus Depot near busy roads and the airport.
- The stations at Gandhi Nagar Ennore and Royapuram, located within 10 metres of major roads, also recorded NO2 levels that exceeded WHO guidelines.
Health problems: Some research showed that NO2 levels in Chennai in 2015 could’ve contributed to over 1,400 cases of paediatric asthma. Exposure increases the risk of airway inflammation and respiratory irritation.
📱 Catching the scammers
The Chennai Police worked through layers of digital evidence to zero in on the mastermind.
What’s the case? A retired administrative officer in Thiruvanmiyur received a call about a supposed money laundering case linked to his Aadhaar. The caller claimed to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He said a warrant had been issued, and the officer was placed under digital arrest. He was transferred to a person allegedly from the Mumbai Police who asked the officer to transfer ₹88 lakh, and he obliged out of fear.
- A few weeks later, the Chennai Police arrested Partha Pratim Bora in Guwahati. He received ₹3.8 crore from eight transactions and distributed it across 178 accounts in a day.
- Bora’s confession led the police to others from Assam and Andhra Pradesh. Further investigations revealed it was a multi-country scam with connections in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Methodology: The perpetrators use fear as their mean weapon. Victims are told their phones were traced and to not disclose details of the call under the pretence of national security. With such cases becoming prominent, Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun said people should be wary of anyone asking to transfer money, and incidents should be reported to the 1930 cybercrime helpline.
🏗️ New projects launched
Chief Minister MK Stalin launched 79 new projects, focused on infrastructure, housing, and healthcare.
What’s it about? Stalin laid the foundation for 79 projects worth ₹1,383 crore under the Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam. They focused on housing, civic infrastructure, education, and healthcare to address critical needs like clean drinking water and modernised treatment plants.
- Under the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), ₹420 crore has been allocated to build 700 new housing units on Wall Tax Road and 776 housing units on Stanley Medical College Road. It also includes a sports arena at Tondiarpet and upgrading libraries.
- The Chennai Corporation will upgrade the bus termini in Madhavaram and Vinayagapuram, build additional classrooms, build a fish market in Perambur, and finish stormwater drain work. Among the 29 completed projects inaugurated were Anganwadi centres and a Miyawaki park.
Scope of the work: Since the Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam was launched in March, the initiative’s scope has covered several sectors encompassing 252 projects.
🚄 4 hours from Chennai to Bengaluru
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Travel time between Chennai and Bengaluru on the Vande Bharat Express will be reduced to 4 hours.
What’s it about? The travel time between the two cities will be reduced by 25 minutes to 4 hours as the Railways look to increase the speed of the Vande Bharat trains from 110 km to 130 km. Similarly, travel time on the Shatabdi will also be reduced by at least 20 minutes.
- The Southern Railway conducted a speed trial on the Bengaluru-Jolarpettai section. The revised speed will be finalised once the commissioner of railway safety approves it.
- To increase the maximum speed beyond 130 kmph, bridges and fencing will need to be strengthened or rebuilt, level crossings will need to be eliminated, and grades and curves will be flattened.
Route details: The 360-km Bengaluru-Chennai corridor is a high-density route. It houses tech parks, industrial manufacturing units, and residential townships.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Carnatic music lovers can catch Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s classical music experience Thamizhum Naanum, this Sunday.
- K-Pop fans, gather for the SARANGHAE – A K-POP TRIBUTE, this Saturday.
- Music lovers can experience Subhlashini and DJ Tamzz for Trafic Jamm-Live this Saturday.
- Unwind and have fun at the House of Hibiscus’s Games by The Beach this Sunday.
- Go on a rhythmic journey and learn African drumming at the Beats & Bond workshop, this Sunday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I use more than one social media platform: 71.4% 🏆
- I don’t use more than one social media platform: 28.6%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What degree/discipline would you like to study?
Shiva: “Law”
Suchi: “‘Fine Arts”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!