Google-Adani data centre will not affect environment: Andhra Pradesh government tells High Court

The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday told the Andhra Pradesh High Court that it is taking every step to ensure that the construction of the proposed Google-Adani data centres in Vishakapatnam does not affect the environment [Bolisetty Satyanarayana v. The State of Andhra Pradesh].

The counsel representing the State government made the submission before a bench of Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition raising several concerns about the multi-billion-dollar project, including its potential impact on the environment.

"Counsel for the State submits that care and caution is being exercised in ensuring that all steps are taken within the parameters of law and due care is being taken for protection of the environment," the Court recorded in the order passed after the hearing today.

Apart from environmental concerns, the PIL filed by environmental activist and Jal Biradari National Convenor Bolisetty Satyanarayana contended that 160 acres of the land allotted for data centres was temple land which belongs to the Simhachalam Devasthanam.

The same should not have been transferred for commercial purposes and ought to be restored to the temple, the petitioner contended.

He also argued that while the government has been claiming that the project would strengthen India's digital economy, the data centres will not be storing or processing Indian data.

The petitioner also submitted that there was a forest and a water reservoir right next to the site for the data centres. Both are ecologically sensitive locations and construction could cause irreversible damage to ecological balance and biodiversity in the area, it was argued.

He further submitted that Visakhapatnam has been suffering major water crises since 2015 and construction of these data centres would only exacerbate the situation.

Despite these concerns, the government had not done any environmental impact studies, the PIL petitioner argued.

The Court should issue directions to halt further construction until comprehensive studies are undertaken, it was submitted.

The PIL will be heard again next week by which time the State government and its various authorities are expected to file their respective counter-affidavits.