Environmental organisation Green Visakha has called on the Andhra Pradesh government to halt construction at proposed AI data centre sites in Tarluvada and Adavivaram and review the permissions granted for projects in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts. The demand follows a protest held on October 14, 2026, marking one year since the State government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Google to develop a major AI infrastructure hub.

 

The proposed AI hub forms part of Google's planned $15 billion investment in India over five years, from 2026 to 2030, with AdaniConneX involved in the development. Green Visakha alleges that the approvals were granted without adequate environmental impact assessments and public hearings. The organisation has urged the government to review the permissions and publish a white paper explaining the agreements and approval process. These are the group's claims; the legal status of the clearances is subject to the relevant regulatory and judicial processes.

 

The protest also highlighted concerns about the proposed facilities' requirements for electricity and water, as well as their potential effects on nearby ecosystems and communities. Green Visakha argued that the government should follow a transparent, sustainability-focused approach while planning large data centre projects. Its demands come amid wider public debate over how to balance technology investment with environmental safeguards and local resource needs.

 

The group has said it intends to raise the issue during the upcoming local body elections by seeking the views of mayoral and corporator candidates on data centre development. Meanwhile, Google has said the Vizag AI hub will use advanced air-cooling technology rather than water-based cooling, while environmental concerns and questions about project approvals remain part of the public discussion.