Sharad Pawar has adopted a cautious position on the proposed Ujani data centre, saying the arrival of the project does not automatically mean water will be lost, while stressing that available water must be used carefully. His remarks have created uncertainty within the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), whose MLA Rohit Pawar has been opposing the project and demanding that it not be established at Ujani.
Speaking to reporters in Baramati on Sunday, Sharad Pawar said he would obtain complete information about the proposed artificial intelligence data centre before forming a final view. He added that if corrections were necessary, they would be considered appropriately.
“Just because a project comes does not mean water is lost; however, available water must be used carefully,” Pawar said, according to Pudhari. He did not announce a final approval for the project or provide details about its proposed water requirement, source of supply, construction timeline or implementing agency.
The comments differ from the public position taken by Rohit Pawar, who has been leading opposition to the proposed facility on water-related grounds. The contrast between the two positions has raised questions about the party’s stand on the project, particularly as the Ujani region is also facing concerns linked to water availability.
The dispute places the proposed data centre within a wider administrative question: how large, water-dependent infrastructure projects should be assessed in areas where water supply is already under pressure. Pawar’s remarks indicated that the project should not be judged solely by its presence, but that its use of available water would require scrutiny. However, the statement did not identify the authority responsible for that assessment or specify whether any technical or environmental review had been completed.
Pawar also said that his immediate focus was on drought, water scarcity and fodder availability in Maharashtra. He said signs of a serious crisis involving water and cattle fodder were emerging in the state and that he was gathering information about conditions in drought-affected areas. He appealed for political parties not to bring politics into the crisis and called for collective efforts to address it.
The remarks come as the proposed Ujani data centre remains the subject of political disagreement. While Rohit Pawar’s opposition has focused on the project’s possible implications for water, Sharad Pawar’s position leaves open the possibility of examining the project after more information is obtained. No final decision, revised proposal or official water-use assessment was cited in the report.
The next step indicated by Sharad Pawar is a review of the project’s complete details, followed by consideration of any changes deemed necessary.
