Good morning, Chennai!
🌥️ Today’s weather: High: 33 ℃ | Low: 25 ℃ | A little cloudy for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Corporation of Madras got its first Mayor in 1688. It was Nathanial Higginson. He served for six months and resigned.
🍅 Vegetable price fluctuations
Consumption of vegetables has decreased due to increased prices.
What’s it about? A recent survey showed that consumption of vegetables reduced by 29% in India due to a surge in prices. Vegetables make up a considerable portion of the middle-class budget. After the northeast monsoon began in Tamil Nadu, prices in Chennai increased.
- Prices of tomatoes and onions increased from January due to weather changes, especially in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Tomatoes were sold at ₹80-90 per kg at the Koyambedu wholesale market.
- Over the past few weeks, Koyambedu has received less than 500 kg of vegetables daily, contributing to the price increase. The monthly budget for essentials has increased to ₹10,000 for families.
Further increase: Farmers and traders have asked the government to provide proper storage facilities to help keep the supply steady and stabilise prices. Prices could surge in November as crops have been affected by the recent rainfall.
🐟 Fish vendors stand their ground
Several fish vendors on Marina Loop Road refused to shift to the new modern facility.
What’s it about? Most fish vendors have refused to shift to the newly built modern market facility since they’re concerned about a potential drop in sales. Only a few have relocated as the Tamil month of Purattasi ends.
- Most women vendors have shifted but are afraid customers will prefer to buy from those outside. Corporation Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran urged the public to support the vendors and purchase from the new market.
- J Kumaragurubaran also said CCTV cameras will be installed, and the roof will be fixed to prevent leaks during rains. A cold storage facility and extended stands to accommodate more produce will also be set up.
Issues to be resolved: The vendors raised several issues with the Corporation Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran. Some vendors say customers prefer buying fish from the net since they believe it’s fresh. The vendors were unhappy that the government didn’t consult them before building the facility.
💸 Digital spot fining begins
The Chennai Corporation has begun implementing spot fines for illegal dumping using digital devices.
What’s it about? The Chennai Corporation has activated its 70-point-of-sale devices and collected fines from 289 people. Overall, ₹5 lakh has been collected as fines for illegal waste dumping.
- In the previous council meeting, the civic body revised the penalty for garbage dumping and failure to segregate waste before it’s handed over to workers.
- The Corporation has received 468 devices from the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) to levy spot fines. 70 have been activated so far.
Revisions: The penalty for dumping waste was increased to ₹5,000 from ₹500. Those who burn waste in public and private properties also have to pay ₹5,000.
🚙 CEAT production
The tyre manufacturer will increase production at its Chennai plant.
What’s it about? The company will ramp up production at its Chennai plant, focusing on truck and bus radial (TBR) and passenger car radial (PCR) tyres. The company recently completed the first phase of its TBR expansion and will begin phase 2.
- The company currently manufactures 45,000 TBR units at the Chennai plant. The company has increased its PCR production capacity by 30-40% to 27,000-28,000 units.
- The expansion is part of a larger ₹1,000 crore capital expenditure planned for this year following high demand. The company faces export challenges due to container shortages and higher freight costs.
Price rise: CEAT has raised prices for its TBR and PCR tyres by 2-3.5% from October 1, with further hikes under consideration in November and December.
📊 Today’s Poll
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Do you believe large fines can prevent littering?
- I believe large fines can prevent littering.
- I don’t believe large fines can prevent littering.
❓ Today’s Question
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If you could work remotely from anywhere in the world, where would you be?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The Madras High Court dismissed the Gymkhana club’s plea over the state taking control of Madras Race Courses’ golf course.
- Local residents want authorities to clean up the Adyar River to mitigate flooding.
- The 2025 Chennai Book Fair will be bigger than ever with publishers from over 50 countries.
- Despite official assurances, residents are sceptical about the Tambaram Corporation’s flood mitigation projects.
- Following the Centre’s nod, here’s a brief overview of Chennai metro’s phase 2.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!