Environmental groups protest against proposed data centers in Visakhapatnam
Members of environmental organizations along with citizens hold placards during a protest against proposed data center projects in and around Visakhapatnam organized by the AI Regulatory Coalition and Green Visakha along Beach Road on Sunday. | Photo credit: IN PARADISE
Environmental organizations, civil liberties groups and the AI Regulatory Coalition along with Green Vishaka on Sunday staged a rally along Beach Road in the city against the proposed data center projects in and around Visakhapatnam and demand accountability from the Andhra Pradesh government. Members of environmental collectives from different parts of the country participated in the meeting.
“To educate and raise awareness about the effects of the upcoming data centers in Vizag, we organized a seminar at Alluri Seetharama Raju Vignana Kendram on Saturday. After the field visits, the AI Regulation Coalition presented a fact-finding report. We had a peaceful rally this morning to convey the message that the environment and human beings are inseparable,” said Ro Visha Rama, president of Green Mohan.
Organizers said the inquiry report documents the impact of the projects on local residents, especially the Dalit farmers of Tarluvada. “The West has consistently rejected data centers. But our authorities welcome them because they only see money, not people’s well-being,” said Deeksha Vanguru of the Coalition for the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence.
The protesters demanded immediate public consultation, adequate land and financial compensation for affected farmers and full transparency of the projects. They insisted that environmental impact assessments and social impact assessments be carried out before the projects start, claiming they were put in “arbitrary categories” to speed up vetting. They also urged the state government not to make decisions on behalf of the people, to stop what they described as repression against those who opposed the projects, and to uphold the democratic right of citizens to question and hold authorities accountable. They demanded that the projects be stopped until their demands were met.
Published – 19 Jul 2026 21:34 IST