A video currently circulating, featuring a journalist reporting on open defecation in Ahmedabad, India, is being misrepresented as recent. However, D-Intent Data has found that this footage dates back to June 2015. Since that time, India has made substantial progress in addressing sanitation issues. The country has been recognized as open-defecation-free due to comprehensive efforts and initiatives aimed at improving sanitation infrastructure.
Sharing the video on X (Formerly Twitter), propagandist account Daniel Haqiqatjou (@Haqiqatjou ) wrote. “American talk show hosts are now raising awareness about India’s rampant public defecation problem.”
The truth about the video, Fact Check
As soon as the post containing the video reporting on open defecation in Ahmedabad came to our notice, we conducted research and analysis of the video and determined that the video is nearly a decade old and does not reflect the current conditions or lifestyle in Ahmedabad, India.
To verify the claims made by users, we performed a reverse image search of some key frames from the viral video on Google Lens. This led us to a YouTube video containing the same video uploaded in 2015.
According to the YouTube channel, this video shows an American television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel talking about open defecation in Ahmedabad, India. Taking a cue from the video, we further ran a relevant keyword search and found a media report regarding the video. The report was published in June 2015.
To verify the recent situation of open defecation in India. We conducted research and found that since 2019 India has been recognized as open defecation-free due to comprehensive efforts and initiatives aimed at improving sanitation infrastructure. India has successfully implemented measures to eliminate open defecation and improve sanitation infrastructure.
Therefore, it is evident from D-Intent Data’s Fact Check that the video is about a decade old. And doesn’t reflect the current lifestyle of people in India.
Intent
Propagandists are circulating years-old videos with misleading claims to set their racist propaganda against India.
Conclusion
Claim– In a recent TV show, an American journalist reported on the open defecation issue in India.
Fact – The video is from 2015 and doesn’t reflect the current lifestyle of the people in India.
