Broken promises, confiscated land: the hyperscale AI datacentre being built in a tiny Indian village
Locals say Google’s $15bn project in Andhra Pradesh has resulted in smallholdings being taken back off them by the government
TL;DR
- Google is building a $15bn AI data center in Tarluvada, Andhra Pradesh, intended to be its largest outside the US.
- Local villagers express suspicion and worry about the project's environmental and economic costs, fearing increased heat, water strain, and pollution.
- The state government is accused of fast-tracking environmental clearances and downplaying the project's true scale, which requires 2.51GW of power.
- Activists and locals have filed legal challenges alleging inadequate environmental risk assessments and a lack of public consultation.
- Villagers report land being confiscated with insufficient compensation and broken promises of jobs and replacement land, particularly affecting farmers.
- Google claims the project will have no expected impact on the local community and will use air-cooling to conserve water.