Andhra Pradesh High Court will hear a public interest litigation on Aug. 24 as activists challenge water use and wildlife risks near Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary.
Google's biggest-ever India investment, a $15 billion plan to build a data centre hub in Visakhapatnam, is facing mounting environmental opposition in Andhra Pradesh, where activists say it could deepen shortages in a city of 2.5 million that receives 410 million litres of water a day against a requirement of 480 million, and could affect wildlife near Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary. The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday asked the state to respond to a public interest litigation from Jal Biradari (Water Community) and will hear the case on Aug. 24, while three more cases at India's environmental court seek a halt over alleged failures in assessing water use from a rural drinking-water scheme. Andhra Pradesh says the claims are misleading, no rural or residential water or the nearby reservoir will be used, and it is open to redressal, while Google says the project will comply with Indian laws and use advanced air cooling and sound-dampening measures; the Adani-backed development is expected to create up to 188,000 jobs.