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A dramatic drone video circulating widely on social media platforms that purports to show Indian authorities releasing massive floodwaters from the Gandak barrage following a deadly glacial collapse in Nepal is entirely false, an AFP fact-check has revealed.
The misleading footage, which gained substantial traction online in late August and early September 2026, actually depicts a dam situated in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. The clip was captured months prior to the cross-border flooding disaster that struck the Himalayan nation.
According to fact-checking investigations, the misattributed video began circulating widely after a Sinhala-language post appeared on Facebook on August 29, 2026. The post showcased an aerial perspective of torrents of water rushing through large concrete sluice gates, incorrectly asserting that the visual documented the Gandak barrage in eastern India's Bihar state.
Accompanying captions on the viral post claimed that the footage showed the Gandak barrage operating to manage immense floodwaters caused by the collapse of glaciers in Nepal as water entered Indian territory through the Trishuli, Narayani, and Gandak river system. The post further alleged that Indian authorities had opened all 36 gates of the installation, thereby moderating the flood's impact and preventing widespread regional destruction.
While real water management actions did occur along the international border during that timeframe, the visual media attached to the online posts had no relation to the events. The catastrophic natural disaster in Nepal was triggered in late August 2026, when a major glacial collapse unleashed massive volumes of water that surged into downstream river networks flowing toward neighboring India.
In Nepal, the catastrophe prompted immense grief and extensive emergency operations. On September 7, 2026, the country observed an official national day of mourning, during which flags were flown at half-mast and hundreds of mourners assembled in the capital city of Kathmandu to take part in candlelight vigils honoring the victims.
The glacial floodwaters also caused severe devastation to infrastructure projects, leaving hundreds of hydropower workers missing. Search and rescue operations achieved a breakthrough when three workers trapped deep within underground tunnels were brought to safety, including two Nepali nationals rescued on September 4 and a Chinese worker rescued on September 5, temporarily boosting hopes that additional survivors might be found.
In response to the surge of water flowing downstream from Nepal, Indian authorities in the eastern state of Bihar undertook proactive precautionary measures. On August 26 and August 27, officials opened all 36 gates of the Gandak barrage in the border district of Valmikinagar, while simultaneously coordinating the evacuation of more than 4,000 people from low-lying and vulnerable zones.
However, visual verification confirmed that the viral video did not depict the Valmikinagar installation or the eastern Indian floodwaters. Instead, the footage was identified as showing the Bhatghar Dam, an infrastructure facility also known as the Yesaji Kank reservoir, situated in the Pune district of Maharashtra in western India.
A longer version of the video, originally uploaded to Instagram on August 3, 2026, by user Ashish Gaikwad, features an individual operating a drone over the reservoir at the exact location shown in the viral clip. When contacted by AFP, Gaikwad confirmed that he had recorded the aerial imagery himself in Pune district during the month of July.
Gaikwad explained to fact-checkers that the video showed the Yesaji Kank reservoir at Bhatghar Dam and verified that he had not utilized any artificial intelligence tools to alter or enhance the scene. He noted that he frequently records and publishes video content of the Maharashtra dam on his social media profile.
Subsequent verification using satellite imagery and mapping platforms confirmed that the physical architecture of the Bhatghar Dam in Maharashtra differs entirely from the layout and gate design of the 36-gate Gandak barrage located on the India-Nepal border.
The spread of the mislabeled clip forms part of a broader pattern of online disinformation that emerged following the late August glacial disaster. Fact-checking organizations have had to debunk multiple false narratives and misattributed videos circulating in the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding in Nepal.
The case highlights the recurring vulnerability of social media audiences to repurposed audiovisual content during sudden humanitarian crises, where authentic footage from unrelated geographical regions is repeatedly misidentified to illustrate unrelated international disasters.
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