Andhra Pradesh assures data centres will not impact drinking water

Andhra Pradesh's Information Technology Minister has given assurances to the state assembly that the government's ambitious data centre expansion will not affect the region's drinking water availability. During the monsoon session proceedings, the minister stated that the planned 6.5 gigawatt capacity of data centres would source approximately 3 trillion cubic feet of water annually from Polavaram's designated industrial allocation.

The clarification comes as the state government seeks to position itself as a major hub for data centre infrastructure in South Asia. The Polavaram irrigation project, a major multipurpose scheme in Andhra Pradesh, has separate allocations for drinking water, irrigation, and industrial use, allowing the state to compartmentalise water distribution across sectors.

The minister's statement addresses potential concerns about water scarcity in Visakhapatnam, the coastal city identified as a key location for the data centre cluster. By explicitly committing to use industrial water allocations rather than drinking water reserves, the government aims to balance economic development with public welfare considerations.

The data centre initiative is part of Andhra Pradesh's broader strategy to attract technology investments and establish competitive advantages in India's digital infrastructure space. The project is expected to generate employment and contribute to the state's technological advancement while maintaining safeguards for essential services.