Google's $15 Bn Data Centre In Andhra Pradesh Faces Environmental Pushback

Google's $15 billion data centre project in Andhra Pradesh, built in partnership with the Adani Enterprises, is facing opposition from environmental activists over concerns about water availability and impact on nearby wildlife, according to a Reuters report.

Activists and children marched in Visakhapatnam against the project, carrying banners that read "We cannot drink DATA" and depicting the Google logo with painted handcuffs. Raja Rama Mohan Roy, founder of the non-profit Green Visakha, told a public gathering that "development should not be at the cost of livelihood of the people," Reuters reported.

Roy cited government data showing Visakhapatnam receives 410 million litres of water a day from its reservoirs and rivers, against a requirement of 480 million litres. Water rationing is common in the city, which has a population of 2.5 million.

Data centre projects have faced similar opposition globally over their high water and electricity consumption for cooling servers. In the United States, 142 protests were held across 42 states in July over related concerns, according to the report.

Legal Challenges Mount

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to respond to allegations by activist group Jal Biradari, which claims the project will strain water supply by placing pressure on a nearby reservoir. The court will next hear the public interest litigation on August 24.

The state government, as quoted by the news agency, has called the activists' concerns "incorrect and misleading" but said it remains open to feedback. It also said no water meant for rural or residential use will be diverted to the data centre, and that the nearby reservoir will not be used for the project.

Separately, the litigation raises concerns that construction and noise from the project could affect the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, located 860 metres away. The state has said the site meets the legal distance requirement from the sanctuary.

Google told Reuters it will develop the project in compliance with applicable laws and will use "advanced air cooling to protect vital local water resources." On noise concerns near the sanctuary, the company said it will implement sound-dampening measures to ensure it remains "a quiet, unobtrusive neighbour."

The project, expected to create up to 188,000 jobs, also faces three additional cases before India's National Green Tribunal, filed by the Human Rights Forum. The petitions seek a halt to the project, arguing that the state cleared it without adequately assessing the impact of drawing water from a rural drinking-water scheme.