Andhra Pradesh High Court refuses to halt Google data centre project
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The High Court further says that pendency of the matter before the National Green Tribunal does not bar the court from proceeding with the matter in line with the Supreme Court precedents. | Photo Credit: File Photo
The High Court (HC) of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday allowed the Google data centre project in Visakhapatnam district to be continued by Vizag Hyperscale Data Centre Park Limited (VHDCPL) at its own risk and cost, subject to final outcome of the present writ petition filed by environmental activist Bolisetty Satyanarayana.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan clarified that any investment or development undertaken would not vest any legal equities or rights in favour of VHDCPL in the event of an adverse judgment.
They noted that the pendency of the matter before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) would not bar the court from proceeding with the matter in line with the Supreme Court precedents, and that the NGT should be apprised of the fact that the WP was being currently heard (by the HC).
Besides, the judges acknowledged the prior assurances given on behalf of the State on August 24, 2026, observing that strict adherence to environmental laws and due caution were being maintained.
The court declined to issue an interim order or status quo, thereby allowing the development to proceed, while legal scrutiny over environmental clearances and allocation of land (that belongs to Simhachalam Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple) continues.
During the course of arguments, Virag Gupta, counsel for the petitioner, sought immediate grant of status quo, alleging that the true scope of the project was concealed.
He insisted that since the project falls in Category-A by virtue of its location within one kilometer of Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary (where all types of construction are strictly prohibited), the jurisdiction and mandatory clearances were exclusively with the Union of India, which renders approvals from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority invalid.
Advocate-General Dammalapati Srinivas maintained that it was a Category-B project that falls in the State jurisdiction and a separate petition concerning the environmental clearances had been filed before the NGT.
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