Google’s $15 billion AI Data Center Displaces Dalit Farmers in Andhra Pradesh

Google’s parent Alphabet intends to invest $15 billion over five years to build a large AI data center across three sites near Visakhapatnam, connecting to global fiber networks. To make way for the project, the Andhra Pradesh government has taken over land previously allotted to Dalit families in Tarluvada, offering each household roughly eight million rupees and a pledge of one-fifth replacement land, though the location is unclear.

Critics say the compensation undervalues the property and that the acquisition was done without proper consultation. Environmental groups note that the facilities could consume up to five million gallons of water daily and strain the state’s weak power grid, despite Google’s claim of renewable energy use. Activists allege that state-level clearances were granted in days, bypassing stricter central review, and that forest clearing near Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary threatens local ecosystems. While some villagers are using the payout to build larger homes, many, like Shankar Chandala, remain uncertain about future water security and the possibility of further land loss.