LSN Shorts · World News Bureau
Batam's taps run dry as data centres draw the blame
Residents on the Indonesian island have protested outside a data centre park; the water operator blames drought and the mayor says data centres are not the cause.
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<p>Residents of Batam, the Indonesian island just south of Singapore, say taps have run dry for days at a time, and some blame the data centres rising on the island, AFP reports.</p><p>Dozens of residents have protested outside Nongsa Digital Park, a special economic zone hosting operational and planned data centres. The water operator Air Batam Hilir attributes the shortages to a long drought, worsened by El Niño, and an electrical fault; an industry source says the park draws on a different reservoir. Batam's mayor, Amsakar Achmad, said in October that the disruption was not caused by data centres.</p><p>Authorities told developers in late September to build seawater desalination plants for cooling. A KPMG report cited by AFP projects Southeast Asia's data centre capacity will triple from 2025 levels by 2030.</p>
<h2>Sources</h2>
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<li><a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/11/08/can039t-cook-or-shower-indonesians-take-aim-at-data-centres" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AFP via The Star (Malaysia), 8 Nov 2026: "Can't cook or shower: Indonesians take aim at data centres"</a></li>
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