Ah, selfies. The modern form of self-expression that has taken the world by storm. From the infamous Ellen DeGeneres Oscar selfie to the millions of duck faces on Instagram, we all love taking them. But what happens when our quest for the perfect selfie has unintended consequences?
In India, one man's selfie resulted in the draining of over 2 million liters of water from a reservoir! In this article, we will take a closer look at this bizarre incident and explore the impact our obsession with selfies can have on the world around us.

TO India | The food inspector panicked as he lost his smartphone - citing there are “sensitive government data” in it.
The Selfie Incident
Food inspector Rajesh Vishwas dropped his Samsung smartphone in Kherkatta dam while taking a selfie, The Times of India newspaper reported. What followed was a three-day ordeal that saw over two million litres of water pumped from the reservoir.
That is right! All this was an effort to retrieve his lost phone.
The Weird Search for the Phone
Mr Vishwas first asked divers to search for the phone, claiming it contained sensitive government data. When they could not find it, he asked for the reservoir to be emptied using diesel pumps.

Sky News | Mr. Rajesh Vishwas ordered local authorities to drain the dam in the quest for his lost cell phone.
This search for a lost phone resulted in a total of 2.1 million liters of water being drained from the reservoir.
The Impact of Draining the Reservoir
Local media reported that the water emptied from the dam would be enough to irrigate at least 1,500 acres of land. This incident highlights the impact that our obsession with technology and selfies can have on the environment.
We often forget about the resources that go into creating and powering our devices, and incidents like this serve as a reminder of the consequences of our actions.
The Cost of Selfie Culture
This incident is proof that the cost of selfie culture can go beyond just environmental impacts. In this case, the cost of retrieving a lost phone was over two million litres of water that could have been used for agriculture and other crucial purposes.

BBC | According to local media, the water emptied from the dam would be enough to irrigate at least 1,500 acres of land.
And India is one of the leading Asian countries that struggles with water scarcity. All government officials need to consider the true cost of our actions and ensure that we are making responsible choices.
Responsibility in the Age of Selfies
It is important to remember that while selfies can be a fun and harmless activity, they can also have real-world consequences if we are not careful. As we continue to document our daily lives on social media, we need to take responsibility for the impact our actions have on the world around us.
We can start by being mindful of the resources we use and taking steps to reduce our environmental footprint. Not to mention that government officials need to be more conscious of that. If not, it could lead to disastrous consequences.