As the country grappled with intense heat waves, environmentalists have raised concerns about an impending worsening of water shortage in India, warning that the rapidly growing AI and cloud computing sectors could consume nearly 37.5 billion litres of water annually.
Reacting to the concerns, the Union Government on Sunday stated that the industry is adopting advanced cooling technologies to minimise water usage.
In a letter to the Prime Minister's Office last month, NatConnect director B N Kumar claimed the expanding industry could threaten India's water security.
The consumption is equivalent to the annual water needs of about 7 to 8 lakh people, or enough to supply a city like Mumbai for about a week, claimed the NatConnect Foundation, which based its assessment on the urban water norm of 135 litres per person per day set by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation.
In its response to the letter, Shambhu Nath Gupta, Under Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, noted that the data centre capacity in the country has grown from 375 MW in 2020 to over 1,500 MW in 2025.
"Data centres are adopting advanced cooling systems like direct-to-chip liquid cooling, adiabatic cooling, and immersion systems to minimise both water and energy usage," he said.
The Ministry also noted that broader resource sustainability efforts are underway, including rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse, and digital groundwater monitoring.
(With inputs from PTI)