India
More than 2 million liters of water were pumped out of the dam on orders from the food inspector, who said the device contained sensitive government data
A government official in central India has been suspended after ordering a reservoir to be emptied to recover his dropped phone.
Millions of liters of water have been pumped out of the Kherkatta Dam in Chhattisgarh state for three days after Rajesh Vishwas, a food inspector, said sensitive government data was stored on his Samsung phone.
In a statement to local media, Vishwas said he asked permission from a sub-department official to “drain some water” into a nearby canal. According to reports, the amount released, more than 2 million liters of water, was enough to irrigate 600 hectares of farmland.
“He said it wasn’t a problem if three-” [to] Four feet of water was drained and would actually benefit the farmers who had more water,” Vishwas said.
After hiring divers and using two diesel pumps to partially drain the reservoir, the phone was discovered days later but was too soaked to use.
According to the World Bank, India is one of the world’s most water-stressed countries, home to 18% of the world’s population and only 4% of its water resources.
This March was the hottest in India on record 122 years ago. Extreme temperatures have caused widespread suffering in India, including deaths, crop failures, wildfires, and disruptions to electricity and water supplies.
Priyanka Shukla, a Kanker district official, told the National newspaper: “He has been suspended pending an investigation. Water is a vital resource and should not be wasted in this way.”
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