Why residents are opposing data centres in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra? | Explained
Residents in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are protesting against the construction of large-scale data centers by companies like Google and Amazon. Local groups cite concerns over excessive water and power consumption, environmental impact, and a lack of transparency regarding community benefits.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing tension between the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and the resource constraints and environmental concerns of local communities.
The story so far: This week, people in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra took to the streets against proposed mega data centre projects in the States.
In Andhra Pradesh, after the government allotted about 601 acres of land in three parcels across three locations in Visakhapatnam and neighbouring Anakapalli district, Raiden Infotech India Pvt. Ltd. — a Google company — began developing a 1GW AI data centre hub, with Adani Infra/AdaniConneX as the notified development partner.
In Maharashtra, residents of Thane have been opposing Amazon’s proposed hyperscale data centre project. The ₹7,203.29-crore project spread over 53.73 acres is under construction across the villages of Balkum Pada and Majiwada in Thane. The residents held several protests last week.
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