Google’s upcoming Andhra data centre sparks environmental concerns:Allegations of 160 acres of forest land being cleared; govt allocates 586 acres

Google is building a data centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, with three campuses planned. The state government has allocated 586 acres across three villages. Work has already begun in the Adavivaram-Mudasarlova village area. There are allegations that forests are being cleared across 160 acres and hills are being cut to level the land. Environmentalists are also opposing the project because of its proximity to a wildlife sanctuary and a reservoir. Villagers say the land was the basis of their livelihood. Payala Kondamma, former sarpanch of Taraluvada, said officials had assured them during the survey that the land would remain theirs. Farmer Appalaraju alleged that land allocated to them years ago is now being taken away. A $15 billion, around ₹1.3 lakh crore AI hub is being developed. It will include large data centres and a network of international undersea internet cables. Construction began in April 2026, and according to the company, the facility could become operational in 2028. Three key issues surrounding the Visakhapatnam project 1. Water: Questions have been raised about the project’s impact on local water sources. Google has said it assessed water-related risks before opting for an advanced air-cooling system. However, this does not mean water consumption across the entire campus will be zero. 2. Environmental clearance: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has heard a public interest litigation challenging the project’s clearances. According to an affidavit filed by the state government, environmental clearance was granted based on the construction area. Questions have also been raised about the environmental impact of the project’s operations. 3. Benefits for local residents: Google expects the project to boost local economic activity and employment. However, it remains to be seen how many jobs will go to local residents and how much the community will benefit compared with the environmental costs. Google says it will adopt air-cooling technology to conserve water At the Bangalore Climate Data Week, Aarti Ahuja, who works in data centre community and workforce development at Google, said the company tries to understand local weather conditions whenever it plans to establish operations in a new area. She said Google carefully assesses water availability and local water sources. “That is why we have consciously decided to adopt air-cooling technology. It will require less water than liquid cooling,” she said. Lessons from two countries with data centres Indonesia: Household taps run dry Data centres have changed life on Indonesia’s Batam Island. While household taps have run dry, data centres continue to have adequate water supplies. Residents say, “Not a single drop of water has come for three months. The water supply used to be reliable. Now we depend on tankers.” Angry residents have also stormed a data centre. China’s solution to the problem China has worked on addressing electricity and water consumption at data centres. Around 90 data centres are being built in the city of Ulanqab. Each centre will get more than 80% of its electricity directly from wind power. The region’s cold climate will also reduce the need to cool the data centres.