Current Affairs in Short: 14 October 2020

13 gates of Himayat Sagar lake in Hyderabad open after a decade

• The 13 out of 17 gates of Himayat Sagar in Hyderabad were opened after the city received heavy rainfall in the last few days.

• The state government decided to open the gates as the water level reached the Full Reservoir Level (FRL). The FRL level of Himayatsagar was 1763.500 ft.

• 4 of the reservoir’s gates were opened by the administration at midnight after the people who were settled in the low-lying area were asked to evacuate.

• The total water storage capacity of the reservoir is 2.97 TMC and in the morning the full reservoir level has been reached.

Renowned Kuchipudi dance exponent Shobha Naidu passes away at 64

• The eminent Kuchipudi dance exponent Shobha Naidu passed away on October 14, 2020, at the age of 64 at a private hospital in Hyderabad. She was undergoing treatment for the past few days.

• Shobha Naidu was born in 1956 in Andhra Pradesh. She had received her training in Kuchipudi dance from Vempati Chinna Satyam.

• In 2001, she was awarded the civilian honour of Padma Shri by the Indian government. She was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1991 and before that the title of ‘Nritya Choodamani’ by Shri Krishna Gana Sabha of Madras.

• Shobha Naidu had also served as the principal for Kuchipudi Art Academy in Hyderabad. She had trained more than 1,500 students.

Germany slams Turkey for taking unilateral steps in East Mediterranean

• The Foreign Minister of Germany has criticized the Turkey government for taking unilateral steps in the east Mediterranean and blames for undercutting the efforts to de-escalate tensions with Cyprus and Greece over drilling rights and sea boundaries.

• Heiko Mass, Germany’s foreign minister further stated that any attempt by a Turkey Survey Ship aims at prospecting for hydrocarbons in disputed waters around Greek Island will strike a serious blow at improving ties between European Union and Turkey.

• Turkey’s redeployment of the survey vessel for new energy exploration around the Greek Island of Kastellorizo has again reignited tensions over the sea boundaries between Cyprus, Greek islands, and Turkey’s southern coast.

• However, Turkey has rebuffed the criticism of its research ship’s deployment and has insisted that the survey vessel has been operating in the Turkish Waters.

Statue of Unity in Gujarat to be reopened from October 17

• The world’s tallest statue in Gujarat- the Statue of Unity will be reopened for the visitors from October 17, 2020. The site will be reopened for the tourists from the 1st day of the nine-night Navaratri festival.

• The site was shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government- imposed nationwide lockdown.

• To follow social distancing, only 2,500 visitors will be allowed inside the statue. Out of them, only 500 will be taken to the 193-meter level viewing gallery on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Statue.

• Tickets will be available only through an online mode in two-hour slots and physical and on-site tickets will remain closed. The mask-wearing will be mandatory and arrangements of thermal screening, sanitizer machines, sanitation, markings for social distancing have also been made.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

• The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction celebrated on October 13, 2020, was all about Governance as good disaster risk governance can be measured in the number of lives saved, reduced economic losses, and reduced number of disaster-affected people.

• The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was first observed on October 13, 1989, after a call from the UN General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction.

• The day aims at celebrating how communities and people all over the world have been reducing their exposure to disasters. There is also awareness about the significance of reining in the risks that they face.