An Indian official lost his mobile phone in the Kherkatta reservoir – and had millions of litres of water pumped out of the lake on it. Now he is out of his job for the time being.
Chhattisgarh – Bizarre rescue operation: Indian official Rajesh Vishwas dropped his mobile phone into the Kherkatta reservoir. After an unsuccessful diving operation, he had about two million liters of water pumped out of the reservoir. He has his mobile phone back, he is now out of his job.
Mobile phone rescue: Indian has 2 million liters of water pumped out of reservoir
The 32-year-old wanted to take a selfie when his mobile phone, which cost about 100,000 rupees (the equivalent of 1200 dollars), fell into the water, reports India Today. The Kherkatta Reservoir is located in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. After local divers had searched in vain for the mobile phone in the murky water depths, other means had to be found. According to his own statements, Vishwas turned to the irrigation authority.
According to media reports, Vishwas was given permission to drain some water into the nearby canal. An official told him that this would "benefit the farmers, who would then have more water."
Waste of resources: Suspension due to pumping action
The crazy action was only stopped after three days. At that time, two million litres of water had already been pumped out. "Water is a vital resource and must not be wasted in this way," Priyanka Shukla, a Kanker district official, told The National newspaper.
The pumping maneuver had consequences, as Vishwas was promptly suspended. According to the BBC, the Indian denies abusing his office. The pumped-out water came from an overflow basin and was "not usable." He had to get the cell phone back at all costs, as "important contacts" and "sensitive government data" were stored, the 32-year-old justified his behavior.
The action was not worth it, because in addition to the suspension, his cell phone no longer works – after three days in the water, that's no surprise. (hk)
