Google’s Visakhapatnam Data Center Faces Scrutiny Over Environmental Impact
In Focus
- Google is constructing a data center near a wildlife sanctuary
- Lobby groups claim the project will impact the water reservoir nearby
- Google said the data center project will comply with the applicable laws
Development of Google’s $15 billion Visakhapatnam data center is facing environmental and legal challenges as concerns over wildlife protection and water availability intensify. Construction works have already started in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
But local residents, activists, and environmental groups have filed a lawsuit whose proceedings could affect how India authorizes data center projects in future.
What Environmental Concerns Has the Data Center Raised?
Google’s data center in India is being constructed on land near the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary. According to environmental groups, the construction threatens biodiversity and adds extra pressure on the natural resources in the area.
The groups filed a public interest litigation lawsuit at the Andhra Pradesh High Court claiming that Indian authorities approved the project without assessing its impact on the environment. The groups further argue that Indian regulators overlooked the potential of the project on water resources and the wildlife habitats nearby.
They also raised concerns over noise pollution and its impact on the wildlife sanctuary located 869 meters away from the construction site. As tech companies race to build more data centers, local communities are increasingly raising concerns about their intensive water use and electricity consumption.
The challenges are particularly pronounced in countries like the U.S. and U.K. Last year, the U.K government faced legal backlash from local communities after it approved a data center project on Green Belt Land. In the U.S., shareholders of major tech companies raised concerns over high water usage in data centers.
What Water Supply Concerns Have Been Raised by Lobby Groups?
Lobby groups have raised concerns that the project will impact the water reservoir nearby and affect supply to the city. Visakhapatnam city has a population of 2.5 million people and water rationing is a common practice.
Government records show the city receives 410 million liters of water per day from its rivers and reservoirs compared to the required 480 million. The Andhra Pradesh High Court has set the next court hearing for August 24. The court has asked the Indian government to respond to water concerns relating to the Google data center.
Recently, environmental activists and children raised awareness about their water concerns by marching through Visakhapatnam city carrying banners with the wordings “We cannot drink DATA”. But the state has termed the concerns raised by environmental activists as inaccurate and misleading.
“Such protests are their democratic right. In case any of these claims are legitimate, the government is committed to engage and provide factual clarifications and suitable redressal,” The state said in a statement as cited by Reuters.
Google said the data center project will comply with the applicable laws. The tech giant also said it will implement “advanced air cooling to protect vital local water resources”.
Impact of Andhra Pradesh Case on Future Data Center Projects
The outcome of the Andhra Pradesh High Court case could shape future data center investments in India. As the country positions itself as a global hub for AI and cloud infrastructure, the ruling could set an important precedent on how future data center projects balance economic growth with environmental protection, water security, and community concerns.
