Broken promises, confiscated land: the hyperscale AI datacentre being built

A $15bn hyperscale AI datacentre campus being built around Tarluvada in Andhra Pradesh, backed by Google in partnership with the Adani Group, promises jobs and a tech boom but has been fast-tracked with surprisingly large scope and generous state incentives. Public statements described a roughly 1GW project, but environmental clearances show permission for 2.51GW across three sites near Vizakhapatnam - a power appetite equivalent to two large nuclear reactors and more than 30% of Andhra Pradesh’s current electricity consumption. The state granted approvals in nine days without public hearings, and incentives including long tax breaks and cheap utilities are estimated at about 220bn rupees over 20 years.

Villagers and activists report that smallholdings have been reclaimed by the government and that over 100 acres of forest have been cleared for the campus, some plots bordering a reserve forest, a drinking water reservoir and a wildlife sanctuary. Concerns center on heat, water stress and emissions: local temperatures already reach 45°C, the grid is roughly 75% coal-fired, and activists say environmental assessments were inadequate. Petitions have been filed to the National Green Tribunal and the Andhra Pradesh high court, while protesters allege suppression, detentions and removal of online protest content despite Google’s assurances of air-cooling, clean-energy plans and community engagement.