Officer Pumped Out Water For 3 Days After His Phone Fell Into Reservoir

Rajesh Vishwas said his phone slipped out of his hand while taking a selfie, and he had to get it back as the device had official departmental data.

In a bizarre incident from Chhattisgarh, a government official has been accused of getting 21 lakh litres of water drained from a reservoir to recover his expensive phone that had fallen into it. He was quick to clarify, though, saying the water was "unusable" and he got prior verbal permission from the local Sub Divisional Officer.

Rajesh Vishwas, a food officer in Koilibeda block of Kanker district, was enjoying his holiday at the Kherkatta Dam when he accidentally dropped his smartphone worth Rs 1 lakh in the overflow area with 15 feet deep water, after which locals dived in to try to locate it. When the physical extraction effort failed, the officer got two 30hp diesel pumps running continuously for three days and emptied out 21 lakh litres of water, enough to irrigate 1,500 acres of farmland, to get his phone out.

The pumps reportedly started draining water on Monday evening and continued to run till Thursday. An official from the irrigation and water resource department reached the spot after a complaint and got it stopped. However, water till six feet deep, which is around 21 lakh litres, had already been pumped out. The area has over 10 feet-deep water even during summers, and animals often drink from it.

Rajesh Vishwas said his phone slipped out of his hand while taking a selfie, and he had to get it back as the device had official departmental data. Divers tried to locate it but couldn't as the surface was rocky, he said, adding that an official from the water resources department told him the water isn't used for anything, which is why he got some of it drained.