Now Reading: Jena seeks clarity on Adani data centre at Naraj in Odisha
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Jena seeks clarity on Adani data centre at Naraj in Odisha
The Story in Brief
Former Union minister Srikant Jena has written to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking clarity on the proposed Adani-linked AI data centre at Naraj. The project, part of 27 projects worth Rs 2.47 lakh crore approved at the HLCA meeting on 23 September 2026, involves an investment of Rs 1.04 lakh crore, 1 GW capacity and about 250 acres of land. Jena said the MoU, agreements and detailed minutes remain unavailable in the public domain.
Jena questioned the project’s electricity requirement of 2.4 crore units daily, which he said equals the domestic consumption of Odisha’s 4.5 crore people. He also asked how 30 million litres of water per day would be supplied given Bhubaneswar’s existing deficit of over 100 MLD, the stressed Mahanadi river system and the unresolved water dispute with Chhattisgarh. He noted the project’s estimated 1,000 jobs may amount to only 50 engineers and 200-300 maintenance and security staff, contrasting it with a Tiruppur-style garment hub that could generate up to 10 lakh jobs. He further asked whether an independent environmental impact assessment has been conducted and made public.
Jena urged the government to disclose all concessions and benefits extended to the investor and to consider alternative sites using seawater for cooling and renewable energy. Odisha’s investment priorities must focus on meaningful employment, sustainable resource use and environmental protection, he said.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both odishabytes.com and orissapost.com provide near-identical neutral reports of Jena’s letter, each quoting his detailed questions on electricity, water, employment and environmental impact. Neither source includes any statement from the Odisha government or Adani in response, leaving Jena’s claims and demands unchallenged in the coverage. The balanced reading is that the reporting is uniform wire-style coverage of Jena’s critique, the key open point is whether the government will release the MoU, HLCA minutes and environmental assessment that Jena says are missing from the public domain.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): odishabytes.com (neutral report), orissapost.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
