Scientists flag ‘serious omissions’ in Telangana data centre environmental clearances

By A Representative 

A group of scientists and academics under the banner of Scientists for People has submitted a detailed representation to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority alleging major scientific and environmental lapses in the appraisal of hyperscale data centre projects in Telangana, including projects linked to Amazon Data Services and CtrlS. The representation, dated May 8, 2026, was addressed to SEIAA Chairperson Dr. G. Sabita Reddy and raises concerns over environmental clearances granted to large-scale data centre facilities in Raviryal, Chandanvelly, Meerkhanpet, Peddavedu and Manchanpally. 

The signatories argued that the projects have been incorrectly classified as “Building & Construction” projects under Item 8(a), despite functioning as “industrial-scale energy infrastructures with environmental footprints that far exceed standard commercial buildings.” According to the representation, the environmental management plans (EMPs) failed to adequately examine the industrial processes and ecological impacts associated with hyperscale data centres. 

One of the central allegations concerns what the representation describes as a “cooling gap” in the environmental appraisal process. The document states that the EMPs do not disclose key technical details about cooling systems, despite cooling being fundamental to data centre operations. The representation noted, “Data centres fundamentally convert massive amounts of electricity into heat,” and argued that the absence of disclosures regarding cooling technology, cooling-water demand, thermal load calculations, cooling-energy consumption, heat rejection quantities, wastewater chemistry and refrigerant leakage risks renders the appraisal “scientifically void.” 

The document highlighted the Peddavedu project as a case study of what it called “scientific implausibility.” According to the representation, the project disclosed a power demand of 278 MW and proposed 110 diesel generator sets of 3500 kVA each, while reporting total water usage of only 302.1 KLD, of which 290 KLD was allocated to greenbelt irrigation and only 12.1 KLD to domestic use. The representation argued that “it is scientifically impossible to manage a 278 MW thermal load with near-zero cooling water unless an unappraised, energy-intensive dry-cooling system is used, or the data has been withheld.” It further claimed that this discrepancy suggests that “the core environmental stressor, thermal management, has been excluded from the appraisal.” 

The scientists also raised concerns over thermal pollution and regional microclimate impacts in the Ranga Reddy district, where clusters of hyperscale data centres are emerging. The representation stated that the EMPs failed to assess urban heat island effects, waste heat plumes and their impact on local ecology and nighttime cooling patterns. 

Another major issue flagged in the document relates to diesel generator emissions. The representation stated that the proposed 110 DG sets at the Peddavedu facility could generate substantial emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. It criticised the EMPs for stating that there were “no major point source emissions,” calling the claim “false.” The document also alleged that there was no modelling of simultaneous generator operation during emergency scenarios or assessment of cumulative regional air quality impacts. 

The representation further warned about industrial risks linked to large-scale lithium-ion battery systems proposed for uninterrupted power supply operations. It stated that the EMPs did not examine risks associated with “thermal runaway, toxic smoke release during battery fires, or firewater contamination.” It also alleged that there was “zero disclosure” about the possible use of PFAS-based dielectric fluids and refrigerants, which it said could create long-term contamination risks for groundwater. 

The scientists accused the appraisal process of relying on “generic, boilerplate templates for housing townships rather than specialised industrial assessments.” They also claimed that hydrogeological assessments used outdated groundwater data from 2011–2012 and failed to account for current groundwater stress conditions in the region. According to the representation, there was no cumulative impact study examining the combined burden of the Telangana data centre cluster on electricity demand, water resources or regional climate systems.

The group requested SEIAA Telangana to reclassify hyperscale data centres as industrial infrastructure projects and re-evaluate environmental clearances already granted. It also called for mandatory disclosure of cooling technologies, thermal load calculations, Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) data and annual greenhouse gas emissions. The representation further urged the authority to commission an independent carrying-capacity assessment of the Ranga Reddy industrial belt and develop sector-specific environmental appraisal standards for data centres. 

The representation concluded by stating that “the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure is an emerging governance challenge” and urged the authority to apply the “Precautionary Principle” to ensure “scientifically rigorous appraisal” of future projects. The memorandum was signed by several scientists, engineers and academics, including Dr. K. Babu Rao, Dr. K. Venkat Reddy, Dr. D. Rambabu, Dr. Ahamed Khan, Dr. S. N. Sharma, Prof. B. N. Reddy and Prof. N. Raghu Ram, among others.