Karnataka conducted a Human Library event in Mysuru:

Karnataka conducted a Human Library event in Mysuru on 8 December 2019. Human Library is spread across various metropolitan cities including Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru in India.

Aim:

The aim of the Human Library event is to break long-standing prejudices and stereotypes of the past and create a safe framework for conservation by using a library analogy of lending people rather than books. The event aims to generate greater human cohesion across various social, religious and ethnic diversities.

Human Library event:

The event was free of cost. But a participant needed to do free registration. One reading session lasted about 30-45 minutes. The readers of the human library were given an opportunity to borrow Human Books and to engage in conversation with the books. If they had any doubt they can about the topic and clarify them. The event had the potential to acknowledge the need for a change in societal attitudes and encourage social reforms. It was the first Human Library event that was held in India.

The Human Library:

The Human Library is a concept that replace books with humans to address people`s prejudices by helping them to talk to those they would not normally meet. The international movement was first started in 2000 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The first event was held at Roskilde Festival in Roskilde, Denmark. The first permanent Human Library was established in 2006 in Lismore, Australia.  The organization is active in around 70 countries. 

Karnataka govt. is to work with Suez to provide drinking water distribution system: 

French-based company Suez won a contract to extend, rehabilitate and operate the drinking water distribution system in Mangaluru. The total cost of the project is Rs.792.42 crore.

Aim:

The state aims to give pure drinking water to the citizens of Mangaluru in all the wards of the city corporation. The state has implemented a 24/7 water supplying scheme. The entire project will be funded by the state government.

Project implementation:

♦ There has been a heavy demand for clean drinking water across the city to cater to the need of the people.

♦ The project has been introduced in four phases.

♦ In the first phase, planning for design and validation will happen.

♦ The second phase comprises of 36 months for the construction period.

♦ The third phase is for three months for the transaction period.

♦ The fourth phase comprises of 96 months for the construction period. The project is expected to begin in the month of March-April 2020.

SUEZ-Karnataka agreement:

The Karnataka State government has made an agreement with the SUEZ Projects Private Limited, a French Company in November 2019. SUEZ is already having a joint venture with the Haryana based DRS infrastructure company.