Congress questions Maharashtra data-centre expansion during drought

India’s Congress has questioned Maharashtra’s plan to expand its data-centre industry after the state government declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas. Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the drought declaration raised questions about how the state would protect water supplies for farmers and ordinary residents while attracting investment in data centres. Khera said Maharashtra had received more than $300 billion in investment interest for data centres and was targeting 5.7 gigawatts of capacity by 2032.

He noted that such facilities require substantial power and may require significant water, depending on their cooling systems. He also referred to a reported plan under which municipal corporations would treat sewage, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation would purify it further, and reclaimed water would be sold to data centres and other industries. Khera asked why a similar effort was not being prioritised to provide reclaimed water for farmers.

He said the issue was particularly important in a state facing drought and high farmer-suicide rates. The government declared drought across 32 districts, covering 74% of the state. It announced measures including crop-loan restructuring, land-revenue concessions and power-bill subsidies.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed district collectors to begin crop-damage assessments. A separate government resolution is expected to set out financial assistance for losses in the affected areas.