Google’s planned $15 billion data centre hub in Andhra Pradesh is facing growing opposition from environmental groups, with protests, legal challenges and concerns over its impact on water resources and wildlife emerging as early hurdles for the company’s biggest investment in India, Reuters reported.

Activists in Visakhapatnam have increased their campaign against the project in recent weeks. Social media posts showed children and campaigners marching through the city carrying banners reading, “We cannot drink DATA,” others painted handcuffs over the Google logo. According to the report, a public gathering took place on Sunday where environmental groups planned door-to-door awareness campaigns and beach protests.

At the meeting, Raja Rama Mohan Roy, founder of environmental group Green Visakha, questioned the project’s impact on a city already grappling with water shortages.

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“Development should not be at the cost of livelihood of the people,” Roy said, presenting data on Visakhapatnam’s water demand and supply.

The state government said the city of 2.5 million people receives about 410 million litres of water daily from reservoirs and rivers against a requirement of 480 million litres, making water rationing a common occurrence. Green Visakha also raised concerns over the government’s reported assurance of “guaranteed” water supply for the project for the next 20 years.

Court cases over water and wildlife

The project is facing multiple legal challenges over its environmental impact. The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday asked the state government to respond to allegations made by activist group Jal Biradari (Water Community), which claims the project will put additional pressure on a nearby reservoir and worsen water scarcity. The public interest litigation will next be heard on August 24, Reuters reported.

Separately, three petitions filed before India’s environmental court by the Human Rights Forum seek to halt the project, arguing that authorities cleared it without adequately assessing the impact of drawing water from a rural drinking-water scheme, according to court documents reviewed by Reuters.

Another concern raised before the High Court relates to the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, located about 860 metres from the project site. Petitioners argue that construction activity and noise could affect wildlife, including leopards and pangolins that inhabit the sanctuary.

Government and Google defend project

The Andhra Pradesh government has rejected allegations that the project was fast-tracked without properly assessing its environmental impact. It said the site complies with the required distance from the wildlife sanctuary and maintained that no water meant for residential or rural use, or from the nearby reservoir, would be diverted for the data centres.

Google told Reuters that the project would be developed in accordance with applicable laws and that it would use “advanced air cooling to protect vital local water resources.” The company also said it would implement sound-dampening measures to ensure “we are a quiet, unobtrusive neighbour.”

The project, being developed in partnership with billionaire Gautam Adani’s group, is expected to generate up to 188,000 jobs.

Despite the legal challenges, construction is progressing. When Reuters visited the site on Monday, earthmovers were levelling a hillside that had been stripped to red earth and carved into terraces.

The opposition shows larger debate around large-scale data centres, which require significant amounts of water for cooling and large quantities of electricity. Reuters reported that similar concerns have sparked resistance elsewhere, including 142 protests across 42 US states in July over the environmental impact of data centre expansion.