Reservoir drained in bid to save phone

A bureaucrat in the Indian state of Chattisgarh ordered over a million liters of water to be drained from a reservoir to retrieve a smartphone he had dropped while taking a selfie.

Rajesh Vishwas, a government food inspector has been suspended and inquiries are underway. However, the official claimed not to have taken any action overstepping his authority.

The incident took place on May 21, but it was brought to attention through social media days later.

Vishwas first asked local divers to retrieve the phone, claiming it contained sensitive government data. But after the efforts failed, he asked for the reservoir to be emptied using diesel pumps.

Over the next three days, more than two million liters of water were drained - enough to irrigate at least 1,500 acres of land.

India is home to the world's largest population, but gets only 4 percent of the Earth's fresh water, with farmers consuming almost 90 percent of the groundwater available.