A government official in India was suspended after draining about 2.1 million litres of water from a reservoir next to a dam in Chhattisgarh. It was reported that he was trying to retrieve his Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra which he accidentally dropped into a reservoir.
According to the Indian Express, Rajesh Vishwas, a 32-year-old food inspector had gone for a picnic with friends at the Paralkot reservoir on 21st May. Unfortunately, he dropped his Galaxy S23 Ultra into the 10-foot-deep reservoir while taking a selfie.
After trying to locate the phone for days with help from the locals, it was suggested that the water is drained by a couple of feet. After getting oral permission from a sub-divisional officer (SDO) of the Water Resources Department, Vishwas hired a diesel pump for INR7,500 (about RM417) and managed to drain about three feet of water over a period of two days.
Unfortunately, the authorities were not amused by his action and Vishwas was issued a show-cause notice and suspension by the Kanker Collector. The Collector Priyanka Shukla said Vishwas had no authority to drain the water and had misused his position to look for his phone without seeking permission. They added that his action of releasing 21 Lakhs (2.1 million) litres of water during the hot summer season is unacceptable and could have been used by villagers and animals during the extreme heat.
The SDO of the Water Resources Department was also served a show cause notice as giving verbal permission to release the water without seeking appropriate permission from senior officials is considered misconduct. The report also said that a letter has been sent to the state Secretary of the Water Resources Department to initiate action against the SDO and Vishwas by making them pay for the wasted water.
[ SOURCE ]
