In a bizarre incident, a government official in eastern Chhattisgarh, India, allegedly drained about 2 million litres of water from a reservoir to find his lost mobile phone. The news went viral all over the media and internet.
As per news reports, over 12 lakh litres of water were drained off over three days when that amount could have irrigated 15 acres of agriculture in Chhattisgarh.
According to The National News, Rajesh Vishwas, a Kanker district food officer, was on vacation near the Paralkot reservoir and trying to take a photo when his phone slipped into the 4.5m-deep reservoir.
Mr Vishawas told local media that he went to the dam with a few pals on Sunday to swim when his phone fell into the overflow tanks.
“Locals tried but failed to find it. “They said they’d find it if the water was two to three feet shallower.” Despite failed attempts, he used two 30-horsepower diesel pumps that ran constantly for four days to drain the reservoir.
Furthermore, he claimed that he got verbal permission from an official to pump out the water.
“He has been suspended until an inquiry.” Water is a precious resource that cannot be wasted in this manner. “I have taken strict action,” district collector Priyanka Shukla stated.
Chhattisgarh official drained reservoir for lost phone
Today’s TOI carries this story of a chattisagarh official who drained the entire reservoir having 12 lakh litres of WATER just to retrieve his cell phone which he managed to slip while taking a selfie. These are the type of people who are running the show for us in our country. + pic.twitter.com/arGPuimIw4
— Satyajeet Kumar (@kumarSatya) May 27, 2023
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