Fact Check: Smart Meters rejected in Andhra Pradesh; machines smashed? No, video shot in Odisha

Hyderabad: A video showing a group of men protesting and destroying electrical meters is going viral on social media. The video is being circulated with the claim that it shows a protest against Smart Meters in Andhra Pradesh.

Sharing the video on Facebook, a user wrote, “Jayaho Smart Meter...?? #CBNFailedCM #AndhraPradesh”. (Archive)

Posts sharing the same video can be seen here, here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2 and Archive 3)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The video has been circulating online since at least August 17, 2024. It shows a protest against Smart Meters that took place in Bargarh of Odisha.

Using a keyword search, we found that there have been protests against the installation of Smart Meters in Andhra Pradesh.

However, we did not find any reports on the protest using visuals from the viral video.

The viral video has a logo of Kanak News, which is a media house in Odisha. Using this hint, we found the video on the Kanak News YouTube channel, dated August 17, 2024. The video was shared with the title, ‘Outraged Residents Smash Meters In Bargarh: Allegation Of Exploitation Over Smart Meter Installation’.

According to the description of the video, residents of Bargarh town of Odisha protested at the grid office alleging that Smart Meters have led to inflated electricity bills.

Kalinga TV, another Odia News Organisation, shared videos from the protest on YouTube. The video was uploaded on the same day with the title, ‘Farmers stages protest against Smart meter/Digital meter in Odisha's Bargarh || Kalinga TV’.

The viral video shows residents of Odisha’s Bargarh smashing Smart Meters in protest. The video has been circulating online at least since August 17, 2024.

Therefore, NewsMeter concludes that the viral claim is false. The video does not show a protest in Andhra Pradesh against Smart Meters.