In light of the water crisis in Tamil Nadu, media reports had said that Kollywood filmmakers are rethinking using rain sequence in their movies. With the metro water tankers in such high demand, it was reported that the production houses have instructed their directors to avoid using such sequences as it would require close to 40-50 tankers of water.
The television industry, on the other hand, has stopped using rain sequences in its reality shows and soap operas.
Even as Tamil Nadu and its capital Chennai, in particular, are reeling under water scarcity, tankers with Rajinikanth’s picture are zigzagging across the city and supplying water in worst-affected regions. The initiative, by members of Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM), the fan club of superstar Rajinikanth now made into a broad political platform, is to provide drinking water free of cost to a city thirsting for a solution to the months-long crisis.
Read The RMM workers have also lent a helping hand in the resurrection of Chitlapakkam lake.
The agri division of RMM joined the volunteers of ‘Chitlapakkam Rising group’ and were involved in the cleaning drive on Sunday.
After heavy rainfall lashed parts of the city on Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu Weatherman took to Twitter today to announce that there were chances of rains in South Chennai today. He also tweeted that rainfall was likely to make land in Oragadam, Maraimalar Nagar, ECR, Mahindra City and Kelambakkam today.
monthly limit of free stories.
with an Express account.
Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) announced today that the party's founder, Kamal Haasan will be taking part in the Gram Sabha Meeting through video call tomorrow. Kamal directed party members from MNM's headquarters to participate in the meeting enthusiastically and raise issues that are faced by villagers.
The 11th edition of the Annual Pride March in Chennai will be held on June 30 from 03:30 pm to 06:30 pm at the Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore, subject to police permission. With June being celebrated as pride month across the world, organisations in Chennai such as Orinam, Sahodaran and Nirangal who protect the rights of the members of the LGBTQIA community in Tamil Nadu have been conducting workshops and events throughout the month in the city.
The workshops, which began on June 1, will culminate on June 30 with a cultural performance, to mark the end of the Pride March.
The Greater Chennai Traffic Police conducted an awareness program at Philominal Matriculation School in Injambakkam, along Chennai's East Coast Road (ECR) today. The police interacted with the students and issued leaflets to create an awareness on road safety and the importance of following traffic rules.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapppadi K Palaniswami announced a compensation today to the families of 17 people who had died due to various electrical accidents last year. The CM announced a financial aid of Rs. 3 lakh to the families of the victims.
The Southern Railway announced the introduction of special fare trains to the town of Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The trains have been introduced for travel in July at a special fare to tackle the rush of traffic due to bookings. The Southern Railway also announced that advance reservations were available for booking the trains.
The Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation, in association with the Delegation of the European Union to India, Alliance Française of Madras and Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan will host Day 4 of the 24th European Union Film Festival (EUFF) today from 5 pm to 08:30 pm at the Alliance Française of Madras institute on College Road, Chennai. The EUFF will be held from June 24 to July 4 in the city.
Two films will be screened today. Tender Waves, a film from the Czech Republic and directed byJiri Vejdelek will be screened at 5 pm and will be followed by a screening of M, a French film directed by Sara Forestier at 7 pm. The films will be screened for one and a half hours each. For all the cine lovers out there, mark your calendars for the EUFF is the place to be over the next two weeks!
The Southern Railway announced today that they will provide assisstance to the Tamil Nadu government in bringing water from Jolarpettai via train. The Southern Railway also announced that the government will have to bear the transportation expenses.
The government had announced on June 21 that 10 million litres a day (MLD) of drinking water would be brought in from Jolarpettai every day via train two weeks from now, to provide water to Northern and Central Chennai upto Triplicane. Over Rs. 60 lakh has been allocated for this scheme, with about 80 per cent of the funds expected to be used for transportation.
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) anoounced last week that they will be carrying out an inoculation drive for stray dogs from July this year, for a period of 80 days in Chennai. The vaccination drive will be carried out to inoculate the city's stray dogs and puppies ove 3 months old against rabies.
The Congress party announced that South Chennai Congress Leader, Karate Thiyagarajan had been temporarily expelled from the party today. The party claimed that Thiyagarajan had been removed for carrying out activities that were against the party.
The Indian Railways Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC) has announced a change in the timings of trains plying between Bangalore and Chennai, which can be viewed on the IRCTC website. As per the revised schedule, the Shadabti train will only wait for 5 minutes now at the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Railway Satation in Bangalore, while the Chennai-Bengaluru Mail will arrive at the destination 15 minutes later.
The Chennai-Bengaluru Lalbagh Express will be delayed by 5 minutes while the running time of the Chennai-Bengaluru Brindavan Express has received a 10-minute boost.The Mysuru-Chennai Shatabdi will arrive at its destination 10 minutes later henceforth.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami inaugurated the second desalination plant at Nemmeli and the third plant in Chennai today at 10 am. The plant, which hsa been built at a cost of Rs. 1259.38 crores is expected to provide 150 million litres a day (MLD) of water to southern Chennai particularly to neighbourhoods along the East Coast Road (ECR).
A TV reporter from News J and two other members of his family were killed on Wednesday night at Selaiyur near Tambaram, after their fridge caught fire and exploded.
Read in Tamil - All three of them died after suffocating from the smoke being emitted by the fridge
A group of men, consisting of 25 members ransacked a hotel in Kelambakkam, off Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) on Sunday night under the pretext of celebrating a birthday. The men created, who trespassed on the property despite the staff telling them off created a ruckus and threw liquor bottles at the reception, damaging about Rs. 2 lakh worth of property.
The manager of the hotel lodged a complaint with the Kelambakkam police and investigations are underway.
The results of undergraduate and, postgraduate professional degree examinations are likely to release today. The students appeared for the annual exams held in April/ May can check the UG, PG results at the official websites — results.unomac.in, ideunom.ac.in. Last year, the Madras University announced the UG, PG results on June 26 by the Registrar of the Madras University.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy today said lack of rainfall has caused water-scarcity in the state. Edappadi and Deputy Chief Minister O.Pannerselvam laid the foundation stone of the second phase of Nemmeli seawater Desalination plant. Speaking at the event, Edappadi said: "Lack of rainfall is the reason for water-scarcity if we receive rainfall only then the groundwater level will increase." He also added that a similar project to Nemmeli will be implemented in Porur.
Three members of a family were killed when a refrigerator compressor exploded in their house at Selaiyur near Tambaram in Chennai. According to local media, the deceased were identified as Prasanna, his wife Archana and mother Revathi.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced on Wednesday that work on the city's fifth reservoir , Thervoykandigai at Kannankottai in Tiruvallur district will be completed over the next two months. The CM said that 95 per cent of the work was already over, following a meeting at the Secretariat on Wednesday.
The reservoir had been launched as a scheme by the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to store one thousand metric cubic feet (TMC) of water every year.
Police in the city detained nine students in Chennai on Wednesday, after they attempted to climb atop a Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus travelling from Poonamalle to Anna Nagar in the city. The students, from New College at Thousand Lights, Chennai tried to hijack the bus at Woods Road, in a bid to ring in Bus Day celebrations and were stopped by Anna Nagar Police. They were later let off with a warning.
Meanwhile, The MTC sent the driver and conductor of the bus which was hijacked on June 18 for a week-long training at Chromepet in Chennai on Wednesday, after they failed to inform the MTC authorities and the police control room when the bus was taken over by the students.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) announced yesterday that the ruling party will be holding a legislative party meeting on June 28, the same day that the Tamil Nadu Assembly session will be held in Chennai. A press release from the party's headquarters said that it was mandatory for all the legislators to attend the meeting.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly session will commence on June 28 at 10 am.
The Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation, in association with the Delegation of the European Union to India, Alliance Française of Madras and Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan will host Day 4 of the 24th European Union Film Festival (EUFF) today from 5 pm to 08:30 pm at the Alliance Française of Madras institute on College Road, Chennai. The EUFF will be held from June 24 to July 4 in the city.
Two films will be screened today. Tender Waves, a film from the Czech Republic and directed byJiri Vejdelek will be screened at 5 pm and will be followed by a screening of M, a French film directed by Sara Forestier at 7 pm. The films will be screened for one and a half hours each. For all the cine lovers out there, mark your calendars for the EUFF is the place to be over the next two weeks!
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will be laying the foundation stone for the upcoming desalination plant at Nemmeli in Chennai today at 10:30 am. The plant, once completed, is expected to provide 150 million litres a day (MLD) of drinking water to South Chennai.
Currently, the city has two desalination plants, one each at Nemmeli and Minjur, which provide 100 MLD of drinking water each to residents in South Chennai, primarily to those who reside along the East Coast Road (ECR).
After moderate to heavy rainfall lashed parts of the city and neighbouring districts on Wednesday, weather forecasters have predicted light thunderstorms and rains today, with the sky expected to be cloudy. Minimum and maximum temperatures have been forecasted at 28C and 35C respectively.
Weather forecasters have predicted that Chennai will receive rainfall over the next three days due to an upper air circulation which is moving towards the city from the Bay of Bengal. A low pressure system that is forming over the Bay of Bengal will bring isolated showers in Tamil Nadu after June 29.
Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai where we bring to you the latest updates on traffic, weather, rains, water crisis, politics, movies, culture and civic issues in the city. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the city in real time.