An Indian official in the central state of Chhattisgarh was fined 53,092 Indian rupees ($640) for allegedly draining out the entire dam to retrieve his mobile phone.
The official, identified as Food Inspector Rajesh Vishwas, reportedly dropped his phone into the dam while taking a selfie.
Vishwas claimed that the phone contained sensitive government data and needed to be retrieved immediately.
He then allegedly roped in villagers and got diesel pumps to empty the dam till the phone was finally fished out.
However, his actions were met with widespread criticism. Many people accused him of misusing his position and wasting valuable water resources.
On Tuesday, the Water Resources Department of Chhattisgarh said in a letter that Vishwas drained out water from the cistern of a waste weir without seeking permission from the competent authority after his mobile phone fell into it and announced the fine for him.
The Indian official was suspended after the incident. The department said that the act was illegal under the Chhattisgarh Irrigation Act.
Vishwas reportedly wasted around 4,104 cubic meters (4.1 million liters) of water. He was asked to pay 43,004 rupees at the rate of 10.50 rupees per cubic meter, according to the letter. Another penalty of 10,000 rupees was for draining water without permission. The amount has to be paid within 10 days.
Priyanka Shukla, the most senior official of Kanker district, ordered an inquiry after the incident.
