Google's India AI Hub Cleared for Twice-Announced Capacity Amidst Land Disputes

Google's massive $15bn AI datacentre project in Andhra Pradesh has received state environmental clearance for 2.51GW of capacity, more than double the initially announced 1GW.

The project, which covers three sites around Visakhapatnam, includes a hub that will be cooled by air, not water, to avoid affecting local drinking water supplies, according to Google.

Local villagers have expressed concerns over the impact of the project on their livelihoods and environment. Some 520 families had land taken back from them in Tarluvada, where security guards put up fences in April and blocked access to plots they had farmed for years.

The state government claims that no land was taken by force and that those who qualified were paid well. However, some of the 47 Dalit farmers who were paid for their land said they have not yet received new plots or jobs as promised.