An Indian government official who requested that a water reservoir be drained to rescue his lost smartphone while snapping a photo has been fired.
According to a report in The Times of India newspaper, food inspector Rajesh Vishwas dropped his Samsung smartphone last week in the Kherkatta dam in the Chhattisgarh state of central India.
Vishwas first invited nearby divers to dive into the reservoir to locate the device because it carried secret government information.
However, after his early attempts to retrieve his smartphone were unsuccessful, he requested that the reservoir be drained using diesel pumps.
More than 2 million liters of water, enough to irrigate at least 1,500 acres of land during India’s sweltering summer, were drained out of the reservoir over the following three days, according to local media.
Vishwas can be seen relaxing under a red umbrella in social media videos that went popular. Diesel pumps are running to empty the reservoir.
According to Vishwas, a top official had permitted him to drain the reservoir since the water within was unfit for agriculture.
The smartphone was ultimately found but it was wet and would not turn on.
The authorities then suspended Vishwas after receiving harsh criticism for wasting water.
India, one of the most water-stressed nations, has experienced severe water shortages due to excessive temperatures, which have led to agricultural losses, forest fires, and power outages.
JOIN US ON WHAT'SAPP, TO GET INSTANT STATUS UPDATES AND BE IN THE KNOW.
CLICK HERE
