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Andhra HC asks state to verify clearances for Google-Adani data centre
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the state government to ensure that work on the proposed $15-billion Google-Adani data-centre project in Visakhapatnam has the required legal and environmental permissions. A…
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the state government to ensure that work on the proposed $15-billion Google-Adani data-centre project in Visakhapatnam has the required legal and environmental permissions. A bench led by Chief Justice Lisa Gill observed that environmental clearances cannot be ignored, after being told that construction had already begun at the site.
The court was hearing a plea by petitioner Bolisetty Satyanarayana, who challenged the project's approvals. His counsel argued that the environmental clearance covered only the building, not the data-centre operations, and that 160 acres of Simhachalam Devasthanam temple land could not be alienated without court permission. The state disputed the claim, saying the land was leased to the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, earning the temple about Rs 26 crore annually.
The court did not grant an interim status quo order but directed the state to file a consolidated response from all departments involved. The matter will be heard next week.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The high court's scrutiny comes as Andhra Pradesh pushes its Data Centre Policy 4.0, which offers incentives including 100% GST reimbursement on capital goods to attract gigawatt-scale projects. The Google-Adani venture, announced in October 2025, is one of several large data-centre investments targeting Visakhapatnam, with Reliance Industries reportedly planning a Rs 1.6 trillion cluster nearby. The petitioner's argument that the site is 0.86 km from a protected area could trigger central-level Category A environmental review under the Environment Impact Assessment notification, which would require clearance from the Union environment ministry rather than the state. The court's next hearing will clarify whether the project can proceed without separate clearance for data-centre operations beyond building construction.
Source: livemint.com
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