Residents near a proposed Amazon data centre in Thane, near Mumbai, are protesting its location in a densely populated residential area. They fear strain on water and power supplies, noise and heat.

Nearly a thousand residents gathered at Balkum Naka under the banner ‘Wakeup Thanekars’. They want the 422 MW facility moved to a planned industrial zone. Amazon says the project follows environmental norms and will use dedicated power infrastructure.

The dispute reflects a wider backlash. Residents across India are resisting data-centre projects, citing water stress and noise. India holds 4 per cent of the world’s freshwater for 18 per cent of its people, and S&P Global estimates 60 to 80 per cent of Indian data centres could face high water stress this decade.

Amazon plans $21 billion in AI infrastructure investment in India by 2030. Microsoft has announced a $20.5 billion four-year plan. In Visakhapatnam, citizen groups are opposing a proposed $15 billion Google-Adani complex.

The government has defended data centres as the invisible engines of India’s digital life, arguing modern facilities use water and power more efficiently.