TD Defends Vizag ₹1.5 Lakh Crore AI Data Centre

Vijayawada: Telugu Desam leader and AP Biodiversity Board chairman Neelayapalem Vijay Kumar defended the proposed `1.5 lakh crore AI Hyper-Scale Data Centre in Visakhapatnam, rejecting concerns over its impact on drinking water, power supply and the environment.

Addressing the media at the TD central office in Mangalagiri on Thursday, he alleged that former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and others were trying to stall the project through petitions in the High Court and National Green Tribunal.

He said both courts had declined to grant a stay.

Vijay Kumar said Visakhapatnam was allocated 28.44 TMC ft from the Polavaram Left Canal, including 12 TMC ft exclusively for drinking water, which, he asserted, would not be diverted to the data centres.

Industrial supplies would use separate pipelines.

He said the centres would use closed-loop cooling and recycled greywater, citing Jal Shakti ministry regulations and a commitment to become water-positive by 2030.

On power concerns, he said the 6.5-GW maximum capacity would be supported by dedicated infrastructure and not the city’s regular domestic grid. The project would take 2.5 to three years to reach full capacity, he said.

Vijay Kumar cited Rajya Sabha proceedings on August 6, saying Union minister Kirti Vardhan Singh had confirmed adherence to central protocols and a mandatory Water Balance Report before operations.

He said State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) had cleared the project under the 2006 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) norms on June 10.

He said the project would create direct and indirect jobs while protecting natural resources.