Now Reading: Vizag activist challenges environmental clearance for Google data centre
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Vizag activist challenges environmental clearance for Google data centre
Vizag activist challenges environmental clearance for Google data centre
Environmental activist Bolisetty Satyanarayana has written to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan seeking clarity on approvals for Google’s proposed AI data centre in…
The Story in Brief
Environmental activist Bolisetty Satyanarayana has written to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan seeking clarity on approvals for Google’s proposed AI data centre in Visakhapatnam. He has also approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court over the issue. The Rs 1.2 lakh crore project, cleared by the state cabinet in October 2025, is planned across more than 500 acres at three locations near reservoirs and the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary.
Satyanarayana questions whether a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment was done and alleges that construction has already affected local ecology. He also claims part of the land belongs to the Simhachalam temple and was transferred without due process. The protest follows similar opposition in Thane against an Amazon Web Services data centre. Activists demand greater transparency on water and electricity use in water-stressed areas.
The Indian Opinion
Two familiar narratives are clashing: data centres as engines of jobs and investment versus warnings of ecological damage. Both sides have a point, but the debate needs facts, not slogans. The activist’s claims about temple land and water stress deserve a clear government response, not silence. Instead of choosing sides, citizens should watch whether the Andhra Pradesh government releases a full environmental impact assessment before construction advances. That document will settle whether this Rs 1.2 lakh crore project is responsible growth or a costly mistake.
Source: indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
