HRF warns Google-Adani data centres threaten Vizag water and power amid climate stress

The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has taken issue with the Andhra Pradesh government's decision to enable the construction of massive Google-Adani Data Centre complexes in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts, with investments worth several billion dollars.

The plan envisions a one-gigawatt (GW) data centre cluster spanning three sites across the two districts, along with a subsea optical-fibre cable landing station to be developed by Sify Infinit Spaces Ltd. To support this, 480 acres have been allocated—200 acres in Tarluvada and 120 acres at Adavivaram and Mudasarlova villages in Visakhapatnam district, and 160 acres at Rambilli in Anakapalli district.

HRF warns that these data centres are far from the promised engines of jobs and green growth; they risk becoming an environmental and economic disaster for local residents. Visakhapatnam sits along a cyclone-prone coastline, with the Madhurawada hills and adjacent lowlands having already suffered from rapid real estate expansion that reduced tree cover and disrupted natural drainage. HRF notes that establishing such a high-energy, heat-intensive complex in this terrain is ecologically reckless and could exacerbate existing vulnerabilities to extreme weather and climate variability.

A central concern raised by HRF is water. In a region already grappling with groundwater depletion, erratic rainfall, and climate variability, the entry of a project of this scale is expected to intensify water stress and divert precious groundwater away from local residents. HRF representatives described the move as a grave injustice, underscoring the potential for substantial and lasting impact on domestic water availability.

Beyond water, HRF highlights the energy demand associated with data centres. Along with cooling and maintenance requirements, centres of this magnitude are notoriously water and energy-hungry, consuming billions of litres of water annually. HRF argues that the projects threaten the reliability of local electricity supplies and contribute to broader ecological strain in a climate-sensitive region.

HRF emphasised that the proposed Google-Adani clusters do not align with the region’s stated goals of inclusive growth and sustainable development. Instead, they fear an escalation of environmental and economic risk for Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli residents, calling for careful reconsideration of the project in light of the local water crisis, climate risks, and long-term community welfare.