As the artificial intelligence (AI) race spreads into a competition to build data centers, securing water is emerging as a top priority for big tech corporations. Securing cooling water to chill large-scale servers and environmental issues have become core sticking points for moving projects forward.
Google's $15 billion (about 21.3 trillion won) AI data center project underway in India has also faced water shortages and environmental controversy, leading to public interest litigation and putting it to the test. As the AI infrastructure race intensifies, not only power but also water security and whether local communities will accept projects are emerging as variables that determine success or failure.
According to Reuters on the 6th, Google is building a data center hub in Visakhapatnam in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is Google's largest-ever investment project in India and is being pursued with the Adani group. When the project is completed, up to 188,000 jobs are expected to be created in the area.
But as the project has moved into full swing, resistance from local environmental groups and residents has intensified. Environmental groups say the data center will not only worsen the area's water shortage but could also affect a nearby wildlife sanctuary. Recently, residents and children in Visakhapatnam held signs reading "We cannot drink DATA" and staged a protest. Resident groups are also reportedly planning additional rallies and outreach to residents.
Raja Mohan Roy, founder of the nonprofit Green Visakha, said Visakhapatnam's daily water supply is about 410 million liters (ℓ), while the need reaches 480 million ℓ, meaning rationing is already in place. Roy noted, "Development should not be pushed forward at the expense of residents' livelihoods."
In particular, the data center construction site is about 860 meters from the Kambalakonda wildlife sanctuary, home to leopards and pangolins. Environmental groups worry that large-scale construction and noise could affect the sanctuary's ecosystem.
The opposition has moved into the courts. The civic group Jal Biradari filed a public interest lawsuit with the Andhra Pradesh High Court, saying the data center could burden water supplies from a nearby reservoir. On the 4th, the court asked the State Governments to explain the allegations. The next hearing is set for the 24th.
The Human Rights Forum also filed three lawsuits with an environmental court demanding the project be halted. The group argued that the State Governments approved the project without adequately assessing the impact of drawing water from rural drinking water systems.
Google said all projects are being pursued in accordance with Indian laws and that it plans to introduce an air-cooling system to protect local water resources. It also said it would apply noise-reduction equipment to minimize impact on the wildlife sanctuary.
The Andhra Pradesh State Governments countered that environmental groups' claims are either untrue or likely to cause misunderstandings, but added, "If legitimate concerns are confirmed, we will explain the facts and make appropriate adjustments." It also emphasized that water from rural or residential areas will not be used for the data center, nor will water from nearby reservoirs.
The controversy is not unique to India. According to Reuters, in the United States last month there were 142 protests in 42 states raising issues with data centers' use of power and water. Industry officials say that because cooling the massive servers in AI data centers requires enormous electricity and water, this is a challenge that must be solved. As AI infrastructure investment grows worldwide, the core tasks in the data center race are expanding beyond simply securing sites and power supply to include stable water access and environmental and community acceptance.