Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: Generally cloudy with some light rain possible.
🧐 Did you know? The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc) in Chennai was founded by Alladi Ramakrishnan in 1962. He was inspired to open the institute after meeting with J Robert Oppenheimer and spending a year at the Institute of Advanced Study in Princeton in 1957.
🌳 Mapping trees
A committee has called for GPS mapping of trees to assess the number of trees lost due to Cyclone Michaung.
What’s it about? A district green committee has demanded trees in the city be mapped using GPS technology to help find out the number of trees lost during the cyclone. They disagreed with the Chennai Corporation’s estimate of 2,051 trees.
- Given the amount of rain and flooding, the committee is sceptical that only 2,000-odd trees were lost. They said it could be an underestimation since there wasn’t any GPS mapping.
- In 2016, the committee asked the Corporation to map the city’s trees using GPS. The 2021 Forest Survey Report stated only 5% of the city’s total area had green cover against the recommended 33%.
How would it be done? Using drones, the Corporation can take images of trees and tree cover and map their spatial distribution using remote sensing. It could take three to four months.
🌊 Lake restoration proves useful
A Restoration Project of lakes in the Thiruvottiyur zone meant the surrounding areas didn’t experience waterlogging.
What’s it about? ITC, IIT Madras, and Hand in Hand India initiated a project to restore lakes in the Thiruvottiyur zone. Under the Promoting Urban Water Resilience (PURE) project, work included checking seawater intrusion and drainage patterns. Residents within a 750-metre radius didn’t experience waterlogging.
- Surplus water was channelled into the lake through pipelines to maximise its storage capacity. It meant there was a protective barrier against flooding for nearby communities.
- The situation was different during the 2015 floods when water entered many homes. Now, there’s a level of protection for the community.
Involving people: When the restoration project began, volunteers and the community were invited through an orientation program. A 12-member committee was formed that meets once a month to take stock.
🌆 Safest metro for women
Among six Indian metropolitan cities, Chennai emerged as the safest for women, per an NCRB report.
What’s it about? A 2022 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report showed Chennai registered 736 cases against women last year, a decrease from 874 the previous year. Other cities showed significant increases in the number of cases.
- Among the reasons Chennai fared well were proactive policing, CCTV cameras, pink patrols in sensitive spots, and other measures. Chennai also has the highest percentage of women in the police force.
- Under the Nirbhaya Fund, the Chennai police have installed over 5,000 cameras in 1,750 locations. There’s also a cyber forensic lab that helps in mobile data extraction and mapping crime zones.
More needs to be done: There are still 1,878 cases pending for several years, and the police could secure convictions in only 59 cases. Several projects proposed a decade ago have yet to be implemented like panic buttons in registered taxis and CCTVs in suburban trains and buses.
✈️ Facial recognition at the airport
Chennai Airport will soon have Digi Yatra, a facial recognition system for passengers.
What’s it about? The Chennai Airport will soon have the Digi Yatra facial recognition system for passengers to pass through the departure terminal, security checks, and board flights.
- The facility will first be installed at the new international terminal that’s equipped to handle paperless and digital passenger processing. Passengers can walk through if they’re registered with the Digi Yatra portal.
- It offers a smoother and faster passenger experience with less waiting times and enhanced security. It maps the passenger and only lets those who are authenticated.
Already in use: Digi Yatra is already being used in 13 airports with over 90 lakh passengers. It’s coming to Chennai as part of the civil aviation ministry’s efforts to extend it to 14 airports next year.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you travelled to another city by car?
- I have travelled to another city by car.
- I haven’t travelled to another city by car.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What lessons should the government learn from Cyclone Michaung?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- A Pallikaranai gated community picks up the pieces after facing the effects of Cyclone Michaung.
- The Anthipattu thermal power plant will begin commercial operations next month.
- Electric Vehicles will soon be launched at five metro stations for first and last-mile connectivity.
- The oil slick from north Chennai has now reached Pulicat coastal waters.
- A traffic modification plan on OMR has been implemented to facilitate metro work at the Thoraipakkam Radial Road junction.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!