Senior official fined Rs 53,000 for draining reservoir to recover phone in Chhattisgarh

Days after a Chhattisgarh food inspector made headlines for draining out 41 lakh litres of water from a weir after his mobile phone fell into it in the state’s Kanker district, the government has fined the senior official of Rs 53,000, for giving the nod for emptying the weir.

According to a NDTV report, R K Dhivar is the man in question. Dhivar, who is the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of water resources department, was sent a letter on May 26 by the Superintendent Engineer of the Indravati project, asking why the cost of wasted water should not be cut from his salary, while also pointing out that water is necessary for all reservoirs to battle the scorching summer.