Visakhapatnam: In a significant move toward environmental advocacy, more than 650 delegates, including activists, legal experts, and community leaders, gathered at the Alluri Sitaramaraju Vignana Kendram to demand an immediate moratorium on new hyperscale AI data centre approvals. Organized by the Society for Green Visakha, the convention called for an independent, cumulative environmental and social impact study before any further expansion is permitted in Andhra Pradesh.

Raja Rama Mohan Roy, president of Green Visakha, emphasized that the movement is not anti-technology but is advocating for 'technological progress accompanied by equity, responsibility, and sustainability.' The core of the debate remains the protection of environmental justice and human dignity against rapid industrial expansion.

Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that the collision between high-tech infrastructure and local resource management is becoming a global flashpoint. As AI demand surges, the massive energy and water requirements of data centres pose a direct threat to the ecological stability and resource security of regional hubs like Visakhapatnam.

Delivering the keynote address, retired IAS officer and former Union Secretary E.A.S. Sarma raised alarms over the proposed 6,500 MW Google data centre. He pointed out that allocating such massive resources to a water-stressed city is unsustainable. Furthermore, he linked the project to the displacement of tribal families under the Polavaram irrigation project, suggesting that inadequate compensation for Adivasi communities acts as an indirect subsidy to big tech corporations, potentially violating Article 21 of the Constitution.

Development cannot mean displacement or the erosion of legally protected rights.

The legal scrutiny surrounding these projects is intensifying. D. Nagasaila, an advocate at the Madras High Court, alleged that environmental clearances were processed with alarming speed and without adequate scrutiny. This has led to petitions being admitted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to challenge the validity of existing clearances.

Local economic benefits were also questioned by conservationist Sohan Hatangadi, who noted that while massive facilities are built, they create very few jobs for the local workforce, as the roles are predominantly highly skilled positions that locals cannot fill. This creates a scenario where the community bears the environmental cost without reaping the economic rewards.

The convention concluded with the release of the 'Visakhapatnam Declaration' by N. Chandrashekhar. The six-point declaration demands a moratorium on fresh approvals, full disclosure of project agreements, an independent energy and water audit, and the restoration of land rights for affected communities.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the 'Visakhapatnam Declaration'?
It is a six-point demand for a moratorium on AI data centres, seeking transparency, independent audits, and protection of tribal land rights.

2. Why are activists concerned about Google's proposed centre?
They are concerned about the massive 6,500 MW power requirement and the potential impact on the water-stressed region and displaced tribal populations.