Why residents are opposing data centres in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra? | Explained
The story so far: This week, people in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra took to the streets against proposed mega data center projects in the US.
In Andhra Pradesh, after the government allotted nearly 601 acres of land in three parcels at three locations in Visakhapatnam and neighboring Anakapalli district, Raiden Infotech India Pvt. Ltd. (a Google company) has begun development of a 1 GW AI data center hub with Adani Infra/AdaniConneX as approved development partner.
Residents of Thane in Maharashtra are opposing Amazon’s proposed hyperscale data center project. The ₹7,203.29 crore project, spread over 53.73 acres, is under construction at Balkum Pada and Majiwada villages in Thane. Residents of the neighborhood organized several protests last week.
Why opposition?
Citizens’ groups in Visakhapatnam have opposed the Andhra project, highlighting concerns about its environmental impact as well as pressure on resources such as water and electricity. The project is happening in three locations – Adavivaram-Mudasarlova, Tarluvada and Rambilli – and campaigners have cited Super El Niño-like weather, which has put significant pressure on water resources across the State, to oppose the data center hub.
In Thane, people cited sketchy details, inconsistencies in water use data and lack of consultation with local people as reasons to oppose the project. Residents, represented by citizen group ‘Wakeup Thanekar’, demanded clarity and a public hearing on water usage. It aimed to establish baseline noise and air quality measurements and clarify the real benefit to local people.
Are people against technology?
Sohan Hatangadi, an environmental sustainability campaigner in Visakhapatnam, said citizens’ opposition was not to technology or investment but to a project that offered little for its cost. Although the city provided land and incentives, it cited limited permanent employment and limited sub-industry.
Green Visakha Raja President Rama Mohan Roy, who led a procession in the city, said the project risked “reckless exploitation of nature” with felling of forests and “razing and flattening” of hills. He said that the surroundings of Kambalakonda Eco-Forest and Rambilli Wildlife Sanctuary, which he described as the “lungs of Vizag”, as well as the Mudasarlova reservoir, the source of drinking water for the city, were also facing threats.
The destruction of pollinators and other species could also affect agriculture, he said, and argued that data centers should instead be located in Amaravati, where major industry has not yet developed.
In Thane, activists are opposing “unplanned development”. “We cannot set up a data center in the residential area which is already facing water shortage, load shedding and other problems,” said Sadhana Pradhan, organizer of Wake-up Thanekar, adding that they were awaiting a meeting with the State government representative.
The group plans to file a petition with the National Green Tribunal following the government’s response. He held a meeting with Thane municipal commissioner and Amazon representatives. “We are disappointed that they have no answers to the fundamental question of what will be the source of the water required for cooling,” Ms. Pradhan said.
What are water problems?
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Water Supply Executive Engineer D. Murali Krishna said a more immediate constraint for Visakhapatnam was inadequate storage capacity, a concern that engineers had flagged internally. About 1,000 to 2,000 acres should be devoted to reservoirs, he said, and storage of about 5 billion cubic meters could sustain the city for about six months without new inflows.
The Super El Niño-like pattern behind this year’s delayed monsoon forced authorities to ration irrigation water in the Krishna delta; It even drew water from Sileru to support the Godavari streams. Campaigners argue that, given the acknowledged shortfall in the city’s storage infrastructure, the allocation of water resources to industrial use, even where current consumption is limited, deserves closer scrutiny in a year of severe regional water stress.
Meanwhile, the Thane project will require 422 MW of power and backup of 193 generators. Wakeup Thanekar group said Amazon and Thane company gave two different figures on water usage. While Amazon claims usage of 125 kilo liters per day, the company has announced that it will provide 12 million liters of recycled sewage water per day at a price of 7.50 rupees for 1,000 liters.
Jatin Kothare, a resident of Balkum, said the city is currently facing “40 MLD water shortage”. “So how will you meet the water needs of the data center?”
In a blog post published last month, Amazon had claimed that its data center in Thane “will not use water for cooling”. “In fact, we do not currently use water for cooling in any of our data centers in India and we do not use public drinking or utility water for cooling purposes. The approved water supply permit for Thane data center is 0.01 million liters per day (MLD) and is strictly for basic human needs including toilet and drinking water for Amazon employees,” he said.
But Mr. Kothare looked skeptical. “They don’t live up to what they promised.”
It was published – 25 July 2026 09:53 IST
