Dealing with chennai weather

[IndianByDefault]

How are recent R2Iers coping with weather in chennai? How do you manage the summer months? Those with kids how are they adapting to the weather particularly in summer?

[apr2007]

Good question!! I lived in Chennai for many years and am now planning to move back there in 2008. When I lived there during the schooling years, we did not pay much attention to the weather, but, I guess we have been "softened". I am also curious as to how R2I folks are dealing with the weather.

[sundarpn]

fall sick a few times and get the immunity up :emwink: :)

On a serious note, I guess its all in the mind set. Certainly there is going to be discomfort but most can be avoided by keeping away from certain elements.

Also I am curious about airconditioning the whole apartment (around 1100 Sqft) with split units. Anyone done it and shar experiences. Is it practical?

[Ravi]

This is a very good question. Though we were born and brought up in Chennai and played cricket in the hot scroching sun, now we have got old and got used to more comfort and cool climate and especially those living in the northern parts are more used to winter and snow now.

During my last visit to Chennai (unfortunately it was during April) and it was extremelly hot and I could not cope up. I used to get tired very soon, and my entire mood changed, I was very irritable and got angry for each and every thing, and I was sweating all the time and drinking lots of water. Though our bedroom is a/c we cannot be sitting just inside the bedroom all the day.

but to our surprise, my kids (4 and 2 yrs) had absolutely no problem and they were playing with their friends all the time in hot sun and we tried to get them indoors but could not. They never felt the heat.

I think probably time is the only solution here, we should give some time to adjust and because many of them have already successfull R2I, i think we will also adjust with time.
For those working in IT one confort is sitting in a/c in office through out the day :emwink:

[ggrajan]

I also heard the worst chemical pollution in India is Perungudi area. And India is the worst polluted in the world now. So can we say that the world's most polluted area is Perungudi/Taramani area? Somewhere I read that breathing the air in those area = smoking 20 cigerettes (wrote by 1 american). I think this is somehow applicable to surrounding OMR area.

Is it exaggregated or true? I understand our people are used to it and immunization is adjusted to sustain. However, how we can save our US-born kids if we R2i?

Please share your input.

[Ravi]

ggr: Not sure how to substantiate this claim. Do you have specific link to the article? How was this arrived at? did someone take air sampling from Perungudi area arrive at this conclusion.

Because there are some industries in Perungudi area, and also some dumpyard and waste water treatment plant, so this might be close to true. But I was not sure if this is alarming. Because I have travelled in Ranipet - Vaniyambadi belt and that area is clouded with leather industry and you can feel the change of air smell and land apprearence, because those area is so much polluted, but I dint get the same feel in Perungudi.
Also because Perungudi is close to sea side, the air is more dilluted because of the sea breeze.

[Mash_Babu]

pollution levels (air and water) are high around perungudi and Pallikarai marsh caused by buring of trash and letting out untreated sewage in to the marsh.

at the same time the ecosystem in this are has also helped to keep these levels down.Proximity to the ocean and the sea breeze plays its part in diluting the air pollution.replenishment of the water in polluted marsh is helped by the under ground sea water seeping into the marsh.

Hope TN Govt takes some immediate measures to get rid of this dump and cleaning up the marsh

[ggrajan]

ggr: Not sure how to substantiate this claim. Do you have specific link to the article? How was this arrived at? did someone take air sampling from Perungudi area arrive at this conclusion.

Because there are some industries in Perungudi area, and also some dumpyard and waste water treatment plant, so this might be close to true. But I was not sure if this is alarming. Because I have travelled in Ranipet - Vaniyambadi belt and that area is clouded with leather industry and you can feel the change of air smell and land apprearence, because those area is so much polluted, but I dint get the same feel in Perungudi.
Also because Perungudi is close to sea side, the air is more dilluted because of the sea breeze.

Here is the link:
http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/06/07/stories/2006060704970500.htm

http://www.gcmonitor.org/article.php?id=401

An air sample from the open garbage burning site in Perungudi, on the city's outskirts and positioned along the much-hyped IT corridor, contained the highest number of chemicals found in any Indian sample. As many as 27 chemicals, including carcinogenic ones, at levels 34,782 and 2,360 times higher than those considered safe for residential air by the US Environmental Protection Agency were found in this sample.

Some of the notable samples included:
Garbage burning in Perungudi, Tamil Nadu: 27 chemicals found, including carcinogenic 1,3-butadiene and benzene at 34782 times and 2360 times higher than safe levels respectively.

BTW, above reports are based on June-2006.

[Ravi]

Wow, that is really alarming. I think we should rethink our startergy of living in and around Perungudi area. This is really bad.

Thanks GGR for bringing this to our attention.

[IndianByDefault]

I made a trip during the monsoons to Perungudi area to the lifeline hospital. The less said about my experience going there the better. That area is quite pathetic.