Karnataka IT Minister launches country's first digital water data bank
Bengaluru, Mar 14: Karnataka Minister for IT-BT C N Ashwath Narayan on Monday launched India's first digital water data bank AQVERIUM', formed by AquaKraft Group Ventures.
Launching the digital startup of the company that is headquartered here, the minister said this is a unique innovation combining sustainable and green technologies along with information technology, skill development and entrepreneurship.
He also called upon startups to have a holistic approach towards finding a solution to a crisis that stares not only at India but also the world.
Saying that clean water and water security is the key for India to become a USD 5 trillion economy, Narayan told the audience that the Indian water and sanitation market, which was pegged at USD 297 billion, is highly unorganised and the need of the hour is a comprehensive 360-degrees approach towards water management as a blend of green and sustainable treatment technologies.
Dr Subramanya Kusnur, Founder Chairman and CEO of AquaKraft Group Ventures, said the AQVERIUM intends to function as a centre for innovation, sustainability and social entrepreneurship to train over 10 lakh youth in water, sanitation, hydro-geological sciences and data sciences.
He added that the company offers a unique social franchising model to create 'water entrepreneurs' with an objective to make India 'Water Positive' by 2030.
Attended the launch of Aqverium - a digital water bank.
— Dr. Ashwathnarayan C. N. (@drashwathcn) March 14, 2022
Effective utilisation of water is the need of the hour. I am happy to note that @aquakraft is working towards preservation and conservation of water. I urge everyone to practice the conservation of water. pic.twitter.com/3xX9Z1Peck
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Fact Check: Muslim man urinates on Kumbh Mela poster in Raebareli? No, the claim is false
Claim: The video shows people thrashing a Muslim man for urinating on a Kumbh Mela poster in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh.
Fact: The claim is false. Raebareli's Bachhrawan Police Station SHO OP Tiwari confirmed to NewsMeter that the accused’s name is Vinod and he belongs to the Hindu community.
Hyderabad: In the context of the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh, a video has surfaced showing a group of people assaulting a man while using abusive language against him. Those sharing the video claim the man being assaulted is a Muslim man who was allegedly caught by the locals for urinating on photos of Maha Kumbh and Hindu deities displayed on a wall.
An X user, Baba Banaras, who has been caught several times indulging in misinformation, shared the video and wrote, “Rae Bareilly, UP: Abdul Urinates on Photos of Mahakumbh and Hindu Deities on Wall, Caught by Locals. (sic)” (Archive)
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. While the video is from Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, our investigation revealed that the man accused of urinating belongs to the Hindu community.
We conducted a keyword search and found reports by Amar Ujala and India Daily published on January 11. Both reports mentioned the viral video which captured the assault.
According to these reports, the incident allegedly occurred on the evening of January 10, 2025, at the main intersection of Bachhrawan town in Raebareli. Locals caught the accused and assaulted him, while someone at the scene recorded the incident and shared the video on social media.
Neither report named the accused nor specified his community. However, mentioned that inspector OP Tiwari stated an investigation into the viral video is ongoing.
We also found another X user sharing the video with the same communal claim. However, the X handle of Raebareli police replying to the post clarified that the man being assaulted in the video is Vinod, a hawker from Kannauj district, who, in an intoxicated state, urinated near the wall, unaware of the presence of the Kumbh poster. The reply also clarified that the claim that Vinod belongs to a different community is false and baseless.
— Raebareli Police (@raebarelipolice) January 13, 2025
NewsMeter reached out to Bachhrawan SHO OP Tiwari, who refuted the claim that the accused belongs to the Muslim community. He clarified, “The accused’s name is Vinod, also known as Dinesh, son of Bharat, and he belongs to the Hindu community.”
Tiwari also shared a press release about the incident issued by the Bachhrawan Police Station. The statement confirmed that the accused, Vinod alias Dinesh, was arrested in accordance with the law and presented before the court.
Therefore, we conclude that the claim of a Muslim man urinating on a Kumbh Mela poster in Raebareli, UP, is false.
