Power, water, jobs: Google’s India AI mega‑centre ignites debate over costs, benefits and community impact

In Visakhapatnam, India, activists are demanding a moratorium on Google's planned AI mega-facility due to concerns over land damage and water scarcity. Excavation work has begun on the 600-acre site at a cost of $15 billion, clearing forests and farmland for the $688 million annual economic activity the project is expected to generate.

Farmers and residents fear the data center will strain water and power resources, damage the environment, and provide few jobs in return. Chandala Sadamma, a farmer, expressed her distress over the loss of her mango and cashew trees, stating, "I feel like crying." The Andhra Pradesh government has promised financial compensation and new housing, but activists demand independent environmental and social impact evaluations before new data centers are built in the state.