The proposed Google data centre project in Visakhapatnam is set to face a legal challenge in the Supreme Court, with Congress leaders seeking a review of its environmental clearances, water requirements and possible impact on local communities.
APCC vice-president Vegi Venkatesh, Visakhapatnam Congress president Hasini Varma and senior advocate Krishna reached Delhi on Monday to initiate proceedings against the project, according to Deccan Chronicle. The leaders are preparing to file a petition challenging approvals granted by the NDA coalition government.
The proposed petition is expected to seek a stay on construction and, if required, the removal of the project. The Congress leaders have raised concerns about possible effects on the environment, groundwater resources and the local climate.
Their objections centre on the resource demands of data centre operations. The party said the facility could place heavy pressure on water resources because of the requirements associated with cooling servers and maintaining operations. It also raised concerns about heat generated by servers and cooling systems and its possible effect on the ecological balance.
The leaders are calling for a comprehensive review of the environmental clearances granted for the project, its projected water usage and its impact on communities in the area. The report does not specify the quantity of water expected to be used, the size or capacity of the proposed facility, the location of the site or the terms of the clearances being challenged.
The legal action comes as data centres are being developed as major digital infrastructure supporting cloud computing, online services and data storage. Such facilities require reliable electricity, cooling systems, land and connectivity. In Visakhapatnam, the concerns raised by the Congress leaders focus specifically on how those requirements could affect groundwater and the local environment.
The Congress leaders said development should not come at the cost of natural resources or future generations. They described the proposed legal challenge as being pursued in the public interest and indicated that the proceedings would continue.
The report does not include a response from Google, the Andhra Pradesh government, the authorities that granted the approvals or the project’s developers. It also does not state whether the petition has been formally filed in the Supreme Court. The next confirmed step is the preparation and filing of the proposed legal proceedings.
