Fact Check: Viral video claiming to show a pig roaming near school is not from Araku, Andhra Pradesh

Government school infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh underwent a major transformation through the previous government's 'Mana Badi – Nadu Nedu' scheme, which aimed to revitalize over 15,000 schools by focusing on nine key components, including toilets, running water, furniture, green chalkboards, and painting, with an initial budget of ₹12,000 crore.

However, the current TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, which assumed power in 2024, has acknowledged a significant decline in student enrollment, from over 41 lakh to 36 lakh, despite these extensive infrastructure improvements like smart classrooms and free uniforms, attributing the drop primarily to a lack of sufficient teachers and a parental preference for quality teaching.

Consequently, the new administration has adopted a dual strategy: continuing infrastructure support by requesting over ₹6,700 crore in Central funds for major repairs, the construction of new classrooms, and the inclusion of more schools in the PM SHRI scheme, while simultaneously shifting the focus to enhancing educational quality and enrollment.

Key initiatives for this quality overhaul include addressing the teacher shortage, expanding digital learning by providing Personalised Adaptive Learning (PAL) labs with tablets in schools, implementing holistic progress reports, and reorganizing over 4,000 cluster school complexes to streamline monitoring and better align the system with the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, with the goal of increasing enrollment to 40 lakh within two years.

Upon further search, we found that the viral video was shared viral in September 2023 with the same claim that it shows the present situation in the government schools of Andhra Pradesh after the new government has taken over. The video shows school children washing their plates after having lunch, where the dirty water is seeping out, and a pig is also seen roaming around in this filthy water. This video is in circulation with the claim that it is a school from Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh.

The caption shared along with the video are “ఆంధ్రా స్కూల్స్ ని నాశనం చేసారు కదరా అపుడే

Location :- Aruku VIllage 📍”

Others shared the video with caption "ఆంధ్రా స్కూల్స్ ని నాశనం చేసారు కదరా అబ్బ కొడుకులు. Location :- Aruku village 📍"

Other captions are "అల్లూరి సీతారామరాజు జిల్లా, అరకు

వీడియో లో కనిపిస్తున్న ఆ వాటర్ ఫెసిలిటీ, పాఠశాల నూతన భవనాలు అన్ని జగన్ హయాంలో నాడు-నేడు ద్వారా అభివృద్ధి చెందిన ప్రభుత్వ పాఠశాలల్లో ఇది ఒకటి..

ఏడాదిన్నర లోనే నిర్వహణ లేక ఏకంగా ప్రభుత్వ పాఠశాల ఆవరణలోనే యథేచ్ఛగా ప0దులు సంచరిస్తున్నాయి.."

Here is the screenshot of the claim.

Fact Check:

The claim is False. The video is an old one from a school in Telangana.

When we extracted keyframes from the viral video and searched them using reverse image search, we found that the same video was shared by Telangana BJP leader Konda Vishweshwar Reddy on September 26, 2023, on X with the caption “This is a scene in a state government school... Pigs are enjoying a sewage water pool created by a malfunctioning drainage in the school. Guess which state this is in ?”

Upon further search, we found that the viral video was shared in September 2023 with the same claim that it is from Araku, Andhra Pradesh. The AP fact-check division debunked the video and stated that it is not related to Andhra Pradesh. An article published on Deccan Chronicle states that in the video, children dressed in school uniforms can be seen collecting water from what appears to be a polluted source, using it for various purposes such as washing dishes. Shockingly, even a bore is seen drinking water from the same contaminated source.

However, FactCheck.AP.Gov.in, a government-backed fact-checking initiative, has debunked this viral claim. In a Twitter post, they clarified that the video is not from Aruku village in Andhra Pradesh but rather from a location in Telangana. The organization urged the public to refrain from sharing such misleading information online. In their statement, FactCheck.AP.Gov.in also highlighted their commitment to combating the spread of false information. They stated that they have identified a user, @manishini9, responsible for disseminating similar misleading and fake content and have initiated further action against them.

According to an article published in Disha Daily Telugu on September 17, 2023, the video shows the plight of government schools in Telangana. Pigs are roaming in a government school in Marikal Village of Narayanpet constituency. While the students were washing their plates after having lunch at school, the premises were filled with dirty water, and pigs were seen roaming in that water. The video went viral on social media, questioning the government.

Andhra Pradesh Fact Check Unit debunked the claim once again recently, and stated that some individuals are spreading false information on social media claiming that the situation in the Gurukul schools in the state is pathetic. In reality, the video they posted on social media is not related to our state at all. That video pertains to the situation at a school in the neighboring state in the year 2023. They are engaging in false propaganda by claiming that the video was recorded in Araku. The same video has been posted on social media by individuals associated with the same party two or three times in the past as well. At that time, the government fact-check explained the facts. Nevertheless, they continue to post false posts repeatedly. It is necessary to warn that those engaging in such activities will be identified, and strict legal action will be taken against them.

Hence, the viral video showing a pig roaming around in dirty water collected near a government school is not from Araku, Andhra Pradesh. It is from September 2023 and was shot in Telangana. The claim is False.