41 lakh litres of water let out to retrieve phone; official suspended

KANKER: A Chhattisgarh government employee was suspended for allegedly draining 41 lakh litres of water from a weir to retrieve his mobile phone that fell into it while taking a selfie, an official said on Friday.

The colossal waste of water that happened in the peak of summer at Paralkot reservoir last weekend came to light on Friday, said an official.

Food inspector Rajesh Vishwas had gone to the reservoir for an outing with his friends on May 21 when his mobile phone fell into a channel that carries surplus water. He allegedly roped in villagers and got diesel pumps to empty the water from the weir till his mobile phone was retrieved on Thursday.

After the matter came to light, Kanker Collector Priyanka Shukla suspended the official and issued a show-cause notice to the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of water resources department for allegedly giving verbal permission to drain water from the weir.

The Pakhanjore sub-divisional magistrate’s report said 4,104 cubic meters, or 41 lakh litres, of water was emptied.

“Vishwas misused his position to look for his mobile phone and without seeking permission from the competent officer evacuated water to the tune of lakhs of litre in this scorching summer season, which is unacceptable. For the aforementioned act, he has been placed under suspension with immediate effect,” reads the suspension order.