Green Visakha seeks cancellation of data centre permissions a day after rally

Green Visakha wants every permission for AI data centres in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts cancelled. It also wants construction stopped at Tarluvada and Adavivaram. The group says these projects could affect land, water, and public decision-making, so it is demanding greater scrutiny.

The demands followed a rally marking one year since the State government’s MoU with Google for a Visakhapatnam AI hub. Around 200 people walked through heavy rain, most wearing black. They ended with a street play showing a data centre dividing people while promising jobs, before residents unite to protect land and water.

Green Visakha also requested a white paper on the agreements. It argues that approvals were issued without an Environmental Impact Assessment and public hearing. The organisation says such approvals are not legally valid. It plans to seek candidates’ positions during upcoming local body elections.

An AI data centre is a large facility containing computer servers and networking equipment. It stores and processes data and provides the computing power used to develop or run artificial-intelligence systems. The article refers to planned AI data centres but does not define the term; this explanation uses established technical knowledge.

Such facilities need government permissions because they occupy land, require major buildings and power connections, and may use substantial water for cooling. Authorities can examine building safety, land-use rules, infrastructure capacity, and possible environmental effects before construction begins. Different approvals may come from different agencies.

The Visakhapatnam dispute shows why permissions matter. Green Visakha says approvals were granted without an Environmental Impact Assessment and public hearing. It therefore argues they are not legally valid. The group is seeking cancellation in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts, plus a construction halt at two sites.

The Google AI hub planned for Visakhapatnam involves an investment of $15 billion. The figure comes from the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the State government and Google on October 14, 2025. It signals a very large proposed technology project for the region.

AdaniConneX is named as Google’s partner in the MoU. The article does not provide a separate investment amount for either partner or explain how the $15 billion would be divided. It identifies the agreement as the background to the data-centre controversy and the rally’s timing.

Green Visakha held its rally on the MoU’s first anniversary and called for all permissions for AI data centres in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts to be cancelled. It also demanded construction stop at Tarluvada and Adavivaram, and requested a white paper on the agreements.

If permissions are cancelled, construction at the affected sites could be stopped and the projects could lose the approvals needed to continue. This is a practical implication, not a specific outcome stated in the article. The exact consequences would depend on the permissions involved and applicable law.

Green Visakha is asking for cancellation of all AI data-centre permissions in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts. It separately wants construction halted at Tarluvada and Adavivaram. The organisation argues that approvals given without an Environmental Impact Assessment and public hearing are not legally valid.

If authorities accept that argument, work could remain halted while the projects face renewed scrutiny or seek fresh approvals. The article does not say whether any permission has already been cancelled, nor does it describe court proceedings. It does report that Green Visakha wants a white paper and plans to question local-election candidates about the projects.

An Environmental Impact Assessment, or EIA, is a structured study of how a proposed project could affect its surroundings. It can examine impacts such as pollution, water use, land change, and effects on communities. A public hearing gives residents and other affected groups an opportunity to raise concerns before a decision.

Together, these processes can help authorities understand risks, compare safeguards, and attach conditions to approval. They can also make project decisions more transparent. These definitions and purposes use established environmental-governance knowledge; the article itself only refers to the processes and Green Visakha’s objection.

Green Visakha says the government did not follow the required procedures for the data-centre permissions. It argues that approvals issued without an EIA and public hearing were not legally valid. On that basis, the organisation demanded cancellation of permissions, a construction halt, and a white paper on the agreements.

The Data Centre Evaluation Framework is a decision-support tool for States planning data-centre growth. NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub released it on Wednesday. Its stated purpose is to help States consider sustainable growth while making choices suited to their own priorities.

The framework is intended to guide planning rather than create another approval system. NITI Aayog described it on X as adaptable to State priorities “without adding another layer of regulation.” The article does not list the framework’s indicators or explain its detailed evaluation method.

Its release came as Green Visakha challenged data-centre permissions in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts. The organisation said the government had not followed the framework, although the article does not establish when authorities made their decisions. Green Visakha is seeking cancellations, a construction halt, and a white paper on the agreements.

AI data centres contain many servers that perform continuous computing. Those machines consume electricity, and much of that energy becomes heat. Cooling systems then use electricity and, in some designs, water to keep equipment operating safely. These technical details use established knowledge; the article does not quantify the projects’ resource needs.

The local concern is about how those demands may compete with existing uses. Building facilities also changes land, while water withdrawals or discharges can affect nearby resources if poorly managed. The article’s street play depicted people recognising the cost of data centres to their land and water, then uniting to protect them.

Green Visakha therefore wants permissions cancelled and construction stopped at Tarluvada and Adavivaram. Its concerns matter because the proposed Google AI hub carries a $15 billion investment. The article does not report measured impacts, but it shows that land and water are central to the opposition and future debate.