Aditya Thackeray Seeks Stay On Amazon Data Centre

Thackeray flagged concerns over the project’s potential impact on water supply, electricity distribution, diesel generator emissions, noise pollution and local temperatures. Almost 10 days ago, the state government constituted a committee headed by Kakodkar to study the impact of the project amid growing concerns over health and environmental issues, as Maharashtra pushes to position itself as the country’s leading data centre hub.

Amazon’s proposed data centre is planned on a 54-acre plot in the Balkum area of Thane. Residents of Balkum, Kolshet and Dhokali have been protesting against the project for the past two months.

They have also formed a non-political group called Wake Up Thanekar to raise their concerns. Residents fear that the data centre could generate continuous noise of up to 90 decibels and excessive heat, potentially posing health risks to people living nearby.

They have also raised concerns about the project’s water consumption, claiming that the facility would require 100 million litres of water per day.

Thackeray, who is also the Shiv Sena (UBT) legislature party leader, posted a letter on X stating that the AI data centre was being forcibly imposed on the people of Thane.

He also said that several questions remained unanswered regarding the project’s energy consumption, noise pollution, heat emissions and security concerns. “Local residents are questioning the choice of site and have firmly stated that they will not accept an AI data centre in the middle of a residential area under any circumstances,” he said in a post on X in Marathi.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also asked why the project could not be shifted to an MIDC area designated for ‘red category’ industries. “Under which policy was the builder permitted to bring this data centre to this location? Will the government listen only to builders? Will it ignore citizens’ concerns to protect the builder’s interests?” he asked.

He also alleged that residents of Thane and Uran would have to go without water supply on certain days, yet the administration would continue to support builders and vested interests instead of halting projects such as the AI data centre that could adversely affect the city.

In a letter dated October 22, Thackeray said the Kakodkar-led committee was expected to submit its final report within three months of the date of the government resolution. The report would provide a clear picture of the project’s potential consequences. “I request that the proposed Amazon data centre project be stayed until the report (of the Kakodkar-led committee) is submitted,” he said.

Thackeray demanded the inclusion of representatives of local public welfare organisations in the 17-member committee headed by Kakodkar.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader called for an assessment of the additional burden on Thane’s water supply and power distribution systems, as well as the potential effects of diesel generator emissions, noise pollution and heat generation on the surrounding areas.

He also sought clarity on the Maharashtra government’s data centre and artificial intelligence (AI) data centre policies, the criteria and conditions for approving such projects, water and electricity consumption planning, and measures to protect the environment and local residents’ interests.