Google’s $15 Billion India Data Centre Project Faces Environmental and Legal Scrutiny

New Delhi: Google’s planned $15 billion data centre project in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh is facing mounting environmental and legal challenges over concerns about water consumption and its proximity to a protected wildlife sanctuary, even as authorities defend the project’s economic benefits.

The facility, being developed in partnership with the Adani Group near the port city of Visakhapatnam, is expected to become one of Google’s largest data centre investments globally and a key component of India’s expanding artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure. However, environmental groups have raised concerns over the project’s potential impact on local water resources and biodiversity.

Activists argue that the proposed site is located approximately 860 metres from the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, warning that construction and operations could threaten wildlife habitats while placing additional pressure on water supplies in a region already experiencing shortages. Public demonstrations have highlighted fears that the rapidly growing demand from AI-driven data centres could intensify competition for scarce water resources.

The Andhra Pradesh government has rejected allegations that environmental safeguards were bypassed, stating that the project has not been fast-tracked at the expense of regulatory requirements. Officials also maintained that no drinking water allocated to urban or rural communities would be diverted to support the facility and said they remain open to addressing legitimate environmental concerns.

Google said the data centre will incorporate advanced air-cooling technology designed to significantly reduce water consumption compared with conventional cooling systems. The company also stated that noise-reduction measures and other environmental safeguards will be implemented to minimize the project’s ecological footprint.

Legal challenges against the project are currently being heard in the Andhra Pradesh High Court and India’s environmental tribunal, with a key hearing scheduled later this month. Environmental campaigners are seeking greater transparency regarding the project’s environmental impact assessments and long-term sustainability.

Despite the controversy, the Andhra Pradesh government has described the investment as a major driver of economic growth, estimating that the project could generate up to 188,000 jobs while strengthening India’s position as a global digital infrastructure and AI hub.

The dispute reflects a broader global debate over balancing rapid expansion of AI infrastructure with environmental sustainability, particularly as large-scale data centres face increasing scrutiny over their water and energy consumption.