New Delhi: A food inspector in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district has been suspended after he allegedly got 21 lakh litres of water drained from the Paralkot reservoir to search for his Rs 1.25 lakh mobile phone, which fell in while he was clicking a selfie.
The suspension order for food inspector Rajesh Vishwas was issued by District Collector Priyanka Shukla. In a press note, the district collector said the matter was under investigation and appropriate action was being taken.
The incident occurred Sunday, when Vishwas went to the dam — built as part of an irrigation initiative — for a swim with his friends.
According to local media reports, Vishwas had verbally sought permission from the subdivisional officer (SDO) to empty 5 feet of water from the reservoir, whose level was over 15 feet, claiming the phone had departmental information.
However, 10 feet of water was eventually drained, with two diesel pumps of 30 horsepower said to have been deployed for 3 whole days starting Monday evening. The exercise — which, it is learnt, was a completely private initiative with no government resources — was only stopped when the irrigation officer came to know about it and reached the spot.
The phone was eventually found Thursday, but it was not working because of water damage.
ThePrint contacted Rajesh Vishwas through calls but his phone was switched off. Calls to District Collector Shukla went unanswered.
The SDO has also been served a showcause notice in the matter.
Impact of reduced level
Local media reports say, when the phone first fell, Vishwas asked people nearby to dive in and look for it. But the depth was a hurdle.
That is when the operation began.
ThePrint has accessed a video that purportedly shows the draining operation undertaken to recover the phone. It shows water being pumped out of the reservoir, as well as divers going in for the search.
An eyewitness told ThePrint that the water emptied from the reservoir was poured into a drain, which is connected to the nearby Devda river.
Villagers from nearby areas told ThePrint over the phone that the water drained could have irrigated 1,500 acres of land.
They also said the dam is a source of water for animals, saying its reduced level will affect them as well.
“People from nearby Matalakudum, Gotanbeda, Ujjavata villages keep coming to these areas to graze their cattle,” said a resident who didn’t wish to be named. “Goats, cows and all the animals come here to drink water as there are no other water facilities nearby. Now that the water level is lower, it will affect everyone.”
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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