An Indian official pumped 2 million litres of water out of a body of water for 3 days to retrieve a fallen Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Most people, when their phones fall into a lake or river, say goodbye to them and buy themselves a new gadget. But not Rajesh Vishwas, 32, an official from India, who drained a body of water for his Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Details

The man was relaxing with friends on the bank of a body of water. When he decided to take selfies, his brand new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra flagship fell into the water. Rajesh called in the locals, who dived into the water for days but never found the smartphone.

But the official did not let up and called in some powerful diesel pumps. What was all this for - you may ask? Rajesh said the smartphone had official departmental data, so it had to be found.

For three days, the pumps continuously pumped out water from the reservoir. According to media reports, a total of over 2 million litres of water was pumped out, which would have been enough to irrigate 1,500 acres of farmland.

As a result, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was found before the bottom of the lake would have been dry. Unsurprisingly, after being submerged, the smartphone broke down completely and was rendered inoperable.

However, the story itself sparked a wave of criticism from locals and the government. India, which is among the world's water-stressed countries, has experienced several major periods of extreme heat and drought in recent years. And although the official said the water was unsuitable for irrigation, he was sacked.

Source: The New York Times, The Indian Express