In the hot summer, a food inspector in India was suspended after ordering the emptying of a large reservoir. Why? His cell phone fell into the water.
It happened in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. The inspector, Rajesh Vishwas, was standing next to a dam taking a selfie when the phone apparently fell out of his hand – and plunged into the reservoir. Local divers tried to locate the device — a Samsung model that cost $1,200 — but to no avail. Vishwas did not give up and ordered a diesel pump to the place. He said he received verbal permission from an official to "channel some of the water to a nearby channel," claiming it would even help local farmers.
In #Chhattisgarh, an officer's I-phone fell into a dam reservoir. Two pumps of 30 horsepower, ran 24 hrs, and pumped out-hold your breath- 21 lakh litres of #water, this water could have irrigated 1,500 acres of land, & this is when "there is severe shortage of water i the area ! pic.twitter.com/vBSol7EafS
— Ramandeep Singh Mann (@ramanmann1974) May 26, 2023
The pump worked for several days and drained two million liters of water from the reservoir – enough to irrigate 6 square kilometers of farmland.
The phone — which Vishwas said contained "sensitive government information" — was eventually found, but unsurprisingly was soaked in water with no possibility of repair.
जलाशय में गिरा फूड इंस्पेक्टर का मोबाइल, पंप लगाकर तीन दिनों तक खाली करवाया डैम, VIDEO आया सामने #CGKanker #Chhattisgarh pic.twitter.com/9ZwtJUuxTy
— India TV (@indiatvnews) May 26, 2023
This did not end Vishwas' troubles. Following a complaint by local residents, who depend on the reservoir during the hot summer months, the inspector was suspended pending the completion of the investigation into his case. He is suspected of abusing his position.
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