Intense arguments unfolded in the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, during a hearing on the allotment of temple lands located in an Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) to Google’s hyperscale data centre project in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts. The case centers on the transfer of land belonging to the Simhachalam Devasthanam to Vizag Hyperscale Data Center Park Limited, a company explicitly owned by Google Inc.
The writ petition was filed by Jal Biradari National Convener Bolisetty Satyanarayana, who raised concerns about the massive water and electricity demands of the proposed data centre. Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas informed the Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Lisa Gill, that the public interest litigation was not maintainable because it combined two distinct causes of action: the allotment of temple land and environmental clearances. He further noted that the matter falls within the jurisdiction of the National Green Tribunal, where three related cases are already pending.
Chief Justice Gill highlighted the dispute over the lease duration, noting that the impugned land had reportedly been leased for 30 years, while the counter‑claim argued the original lease was for only 11 years and could be extended by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation. She called for comprehensive notes from both parties to form a definitive opinion. Counsel for the petitioner, Virag Gupta, argued that endowment lands should not be allotted to a foreign company for purposes beyond those required by the Hindu community, and that the lease period should not exceed 11 years in accordance with state law and the amended Lease & License Rules of 2003. He also cited data localisation issues, the lack of a registered lease deed, and the project’s proximity—within one kilometre—to the Kambalakonda reserve forest, which would normally trigger Category‑A compliance under central norms, yet the project was classified as Category‑B.
The court’s decision will hinge on the detailed submissions from both sides. While the High Court considers these arguments, the case remains under review by the National Green Tribunal, where additional legal actions, including moratoriums and court orders that have halted or challenged similar data centre projects abroad, may also influence the outcome.
