Amid water scarcity concerns, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has assured investors that water availability will not hinder plans to build data centres in Visakhapatnam. The CM said that the state has sufficient resources and can use alternative technologies to meet their needs.
Speaking to journalist Palki Sharma during the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam on November 13, Naidu said that the proposed facilities would require around 3.5 TMC of water. The State could bring up to 100 TMC of water to the city annually, largely through the Polavaram project, he said.
He also said that water currently flowing into the sea could be put to use. Desalination and emerging air-cooling technologies could offer additional ways to meet the facilities’ needs, he added. Renewable energy would account for a substantial share of the data centres’ power requirements, he said, according to The Hindu.
More than 6 GW of hyperscale data centre capacity is at various stages of development in Visakhapatnam. The proposals include Google’s planned $15 billion, 1 GW AI data centre and digital hub. ReNew Energy Global has announced plans for a 1 GW green hyperscale data centre in Anakapalli, near Visakhapatnam, with an investment of Rs 67,000 crore. Reliance Industries had earlier announced an $11 billion plan, through its joint venture Digital Connexion, for a 1 GW AI-ready data centre park in Visakhapatnam.
The CM said that the projects would create opportunities beyond direct employment by supporting a broader ecosystem around artificial intelligence, the knowledge economy and data-driven decision-making.
On the sidelines of the summit, CM Naidu also advocated linking the Godavari and Cauvery rivers, saying that the project could help address water shortages, droughts and floods in southern India. He said, “I am ready to work for Godavari-Cauvery linkage. One solution to the water crisis — Polavaram will come into effect by March 2027. With this linkage, water wars in four states will be over.”
Polavaram, a multipurpose irrigation project on the Godavari, is expected to become operational by March 2027, Naidu said.
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