In India, the construction of data centers at all costs puts the most vulnerable at risk

“Silicon Valley is investing billions in building data centers across India, with little regard for the environmental and health risks to vulnerable communities†, regrets an investigation of theEnvironmental Reporting Collective.

Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta have already invested billions in building data centers in India. And Indian giants like Tata and Adani are following suit. These companies are offered tax and land concessions, they also benefit from advantageous prices for electricity and water.

“Yet across India, from Bombay to Madras, this unbridled growth comes at a high cost to the country’s most vulnerable communities.†Dalit families, formerly called “untouchables†, because they are considered at the bottom of the social hierarchy established by the caste system, they are expelled from their land or are forced to sell it as data centers are established in their regions.

Coal-fired power plants

The government has postponed the closure of aging power plants and approved the construction of dozens of new coal-fired plants, particularly to meet the needs of data centers. The latter benefit from a