Google’s $15bn Visakhapatnam data centre faces water and wildlife protests
Andhra Pradesh High Court to hear public interest litigation on 24 August over the project’s environmental impact
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
A construction worker at the site of the Google-Adani data centre while the Visakhapatnam data centre is facing considerable resistance from environmental activists
Photograph: Times of India (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Google’s $15 billion data centre project in Visakhapatnam is facing legal challenges over water supply and wildlife concerns, with the Andhra Pradesh High Court set to hear a public interest litigation on 24 August.
- The city of Visakhapatnam currently receives 410 million litres of water per day, 70 million litres short of its daily demand, while the project promises 20 years of guaranteed water supplies.
- Protests have included marches with banners reading “We cannot drink DATA” and social media campaigns targeting Google’s environmental impact.
- No left-rated outlet reported on the story, leaving the environmental and social objections unrepresented in that segment of the coverage.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 8 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
86/100
Craft
95/100
Hype
15/100
8 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
None of the 8 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Construction of Google’s $15 billion data centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, is underway, with earthmovers clearing a hillside above the site. The project, described by the state government as historic and transformational, has drawn opposition from environmental groups over its potential impact on water supplies and a nearby wildlife sanctuary.
Visakhapatnam, a city of 2.5 million people, receives 410 million litres of water per day, 70 million litres below its daily demand. The state government has promised the project 20 years of guaranteed water supplies, a commitment activists say will worsen existing shortages. Protests have included marches with banners reading “We cannot drink DATA” and social media posts depicting handcuffs on the Google logo.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court will hear a public interest litigation on 24 August, filed by activist group Jal Biradari, which argues the project will strain water availability. The court has asked the state government to respond to allegations that the project was fast-tracked without adequate environmental assessment. Google has stated it will use advanced air cooling to protect local water resources.
The project also faces challenges over its proximity to the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, located 860 metres from the site. Activists say construction noise and activity could disrupt wildlife, including leopards and pangolins. The state government maintains the distance complies with legal requirements, while Google has pledged sound-dampening measures.
What the coverage left out
No left-rated outlet ran the story. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the 70 million litre daily water deficit in Visakhapatnam, the 20-year water guarantee for the project, or the specific distance of 860 metres between the site and the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary. The Times of India’s full report carried these details.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 3 times, most recently on 6 Aug 2026, 09:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated left has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Centre
3 rated outlets
- The two centre-rated reports, from WTVB and Reuters, led on the environmental opposition to the project. Both carried the state government’s denial that the project was fast-tracked without assessing risks to water and wildlife. They included the city’s water supply deficit, the 20-year water guarantee for the project, and the proximity to the wildlife sanctuary.
- WTVB and Reuters quoted Raja Rama Mohan Roy, founder of Green Visakha, who said, “Development should not be at the cost of livelihood of the people.” Both reports also included Google’s statement that it would implement “advanced air cooling to protect vital local water resources” and the state government’s commitment to “engage and provide factual clarifications and suitable redressal” if concerns were legitimate.
Right
5 rated outlets
- The five right-rated digests and one full report from the Times of India led on the scale of the project and the state government’s support for it. The Times of India’s full report described the project as “historic and transformational,” quoting the state’s ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also carried the state’s denial that the project was fast-tracked without environmental assessment.
- All five right-rated digests mentioned the $15 billion cost and the partnership with Gautam Adani’s group, which is expected to create up to 188,000 jobs. The Times of India’s report included the state’s statement that no water for rural or residential purposes would be used for the data centres. The digests from Free Malaysia Today, Emirates24|7, The Hindu Business Line, and The Straits Times all noted the environmental opposition but did not detail the water supply deficit or the wildlife sanctuary’s proximity.
Read it at the source
8 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Centre
3- Google’s $15b India data centre project battles water, wildlife concerns (opens The Express Tribune in a new tab)
The Express Tribune — is The Express Tribune biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Google’s $15 billion India data centre project battles water, wildlife concerns (opens WTVB in a new tab)
- Google’s $15 billion India data centre project battles water, wildlife concerns (opens Reuters in a new tab)
Right
5- Google’s US$15bil India data centre project battles water, wildlife concerns (opens Free Malaysia Today News in a new tab)
Free Malaysia Today News — is Free Malaysia Today News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Google's $15 billion India data centre project battles water, wildlife concerns (opens Times of India in a new tab)
Times of India — is Times of India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Google-Adani $15b India data centre project faces protests over water and wildlife concerns in Visakhapatnam (opens Emirates24|7 in a new tab)
Emirates24|7 — is Emirates24|7 biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Google’s $15 billion India data centre project battles water, wildlife concerns (opens The Hindu Business Line in a new tab)
The Hindu Business Line — is The Hindu Business Line biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Google India data centre faces environmental hurdles (opens The Straits Times in a new tab)
The Straits Times — is The Straits Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
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