Google’s $15 billion India data centre project faces water and wildlife opposition

Environmental groups and residents are challenging Google’s biggest India investment over concerns about water shortages, wildlife risks and the impact of a massive data centre hub planned on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam.

Google's $15 billion data-center project in Visakhapatnam is facing protests and legal challenges over fears that it will worsen local water shortages and disturb wildlife near the Kambalakonda sanctuary. Google says the campus will use advanced air cooling and comply with Indian law, while state officials deny that residential or rural water supplies will be tapped. Reuters reports: The southern state of Andhra Pradesh, governed by an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has hailed the project as historic and transformational, has denied allegations that the project was fast-tracked without weighing risks to water supplies and wildlife. But the growing opposition could become an early test for Google's biggest-ever India investment, which is facing several legal challenges over its impact on water supplies and proximity to a wildlife sanctuary that is home to leopards and pangolins. In recent weeks, activists and children have marched in Visakhapatnam city, holding banners saying "We cannot drink DATA" and painting handcuffs on the Google logo, social media posts show. On Sunday, Reuters attended a public gathering where activists chalked out plans for holding door-to-door awareness campaigns and beach protests in coming days. "Development should not be at the cost of livelihood of the people," Raja Rama Mohan Roy, founder of non-profit Green Visakha said at the event where he presented statistics on Visakhapatnam's stressed water supply and demand. The government says the city receives 410 million liters of water a day from its reservoirs and rivers, against a requirement of 480 million. Rationing of water supplies is common in the city with a population of 2.5 million people. [...] The state's top court on Monday asked the government to defend against allegations leveled by activist group Jal Biradari (Water Community), which says the project will strain water availability by putting stress on a nearby reservoir. The Andhra Pradesh High Court will next hear the public interest litigation on August 24. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

New Delhi, August 6, 2026: Construction of Google's planned $15 billion data centre hub in Andhra Pradesh is progressing rapidly, but growing opposition from environmental groups over water supplies and wildlife is creating hurdles for the US technology giant's biggest-ever investment in India.At the construction site, a hillside has been stripped to red earth and terraced into steps as work progresses. The Andhra Pradesh government, led by an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has rejected allegations that the project was fast-tracked without adequately considering potential risks to water resources and wildlife.The project faces several legal challenges over concerns about water availability and its proximity to a wildlife sanctuary that is home to leopards and pangolins, Reuters reported.Activists Raise Water ConcernsIn recent weeks, activists and children have marched in Visakhapatnam carrying banners reading "We cannot drink DATA" and painting handcuffs on the Google logo, according to social media posts.At a public gathering on Sunday, activists discussed plans for door-to-door awareness campaigns and beach protests."Development should not be at the cost of the livelihood of the people," Green Visakha founder Raja Rama Mohan Roy said at the gathering, where he presented data on the city's strained water supply.According to the government, Visakhapatnam receives 410 million litres of water a day from 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 opposition globally because of the large quantities of water required to cool servers and their electricity consumption. In the US, opponents held 142 protests across 42 states in July over similar concerns.The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday asked the state government to respond to allegations by activist group Jal Biradari, or Water Community, which claims the project will put additional pressure on water availability by straining a nearby reservoir. The Court will next hear the public interest litigation on August 24.The state government called the activists' concerns incorrect and misleading but said it remained open to feedback."Such protests are their democratic right. In case any of these claims are legitimate, the government is committed to engaging and providing factual clarifications and suitable redressal," it said.Google said the project would be developed in accordance with applicable laws and would use "advanced air cooling to protect vital local water resources".Project Progress ContinuesConstruction was well underway when Reuters visited the site on Monday, with earthmovers working on the exposed ground.Google has partnered with Indian billionaire Gautam Adani's group, which will build the project. It is expected to create up to 188,000 jobs. Adani did not respond to queries.Green Visakha has also questioned the government's promise of "guaranteed" water supplies to the project for 20 years when Visakhapatnam already faces shortages.The Andhra Pradesh government, however, said water intended for rural or residential purposes would not be used for the data centres. It also said the nearby reservoir would not supply water to the project."Who will be the sufferers? The people," said Roy.Wildlife Concerns ExaminedThe public interest litigation before the Andhra Pradesh High Court also raises concerns about the potential effects of heavy construction and noise on Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, located about 860 metres from the project site.Responding to concerns over the site's proximity to the sanctuary, the state government said the distance exceeded legal requirements.Google said it would implement sound-dampening measures to ensure “we are a quiet, unobtrusive neighbour.”Also Watch: Google Plans To Return More Water Than It Uses In Data Centres: Here's How They Plan To Do ItThe project also faces three cases filed by the Human Rights Forum before India's environmental court seeking a halt to the development. The group argues that the state cleared the project without properly assessing the effects of drawing water from a rural drinking-water scheme, according to court documents.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

Google’s biggest bet in India is meeting resistance on the ground. Its $15bn data-centre project in Visakhapatnam has run into mounting opposition over water use and the wildlife living beside it. The project is enormous by any measure. Built with Gautam Adani’s group, it is one of the largest data-centre investments anywhere, and the state […] This story continues at The Next Web

Rapid data centre buildouts are facing global pushback for their heavy water and electricity use, with the impact potentially more severe in a developing nation like India.