Published Sep 23, 2026 | 11:33 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 23, 2026 | 11:33 AM
Data center boundary wall collapses in Simhachalam. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Triggered by heavy rain and runoff cascading down the hill, an approximately 200-meter-long protective wall at the construction site gave way. This incident has raised fresh questions regarding ongoing construction on the hillside that obstructs natural stormwater flows, as well as the environmental clearances granted for the site.
On Tuesday, 22 September, night, a boundary wall of the under-construction Google–Adani data center in the Simhachalam–Mudasarlova area of Visakhapatnam collapsed.
Triggered by heavy rain and runoff cascading down the hill, an approximately 200-meter-long protective wall at the construction site gave way. This incident has raised fresh questions regarding ongoing construction on the hillside that obstructs natural stormwater flows, as well as the environmental clearances granted for the site.
Due to heavy rains triggered by a depression on Tuesday, large volumes of water flowed down from the Simhachalam hill, exerting heavy pressure on the wall and leading to its collapse, according to local accounts. Residents suspect that ongoing construction work has diverted or blocked several natural drainage streams that previously existed in the area.
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The Google–Adani partnership aims to establish a massive data center cluster across Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts. The total proposed capacity is reported to be around 1,000 MW, with total planned investments estimated at approximately $15 billion by the state government and relevant entities.
As part of this cluster, 160 acres were allocated in the Adivivaram–Mudasarlova area, 266.6 acres in Tarluvada, and initially 174.8 acres in the Rambilli area (the Rambilli allocation was later modified based on field conditions).
For the Adivivaram–Mudasarlova zone, the government recently approved the lease of an additional 5.84 acres of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) land.
The current controversy stems from the allocation of around 160 acres of land belonging to the Simhachalam Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam to the data center project.
According to the government, this is neither a permanent sale nor an ownership transfer, but an allocation on a lease basis. In an affidavit submitted to the High Court, the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) stated that the lease was initially set for 11 years, with provisions to extend it up to 30 years subject to certain conditions.
The annual lease rental is approximately ₹26.45 crore, featuring a 5 percent escalation every five years. However, public interest litigations (PILs) have objected, arguing that due legal procedure—including mandatory public notices—was bypassed when allocating temple land for a commercial project. A final judicial ruling on these issues is still pending.
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A primary driver of environmental concern surrounding the data center project is the Mudasarlova reservoir. According to official government records, the reservoir is situated just about 120 meters from the project boundary.
Because it serves as a critical drinking water reservoir for Visakhapatnam city, serious questions have been raised regarding the impact of data center construction activities.
The government informed the High Court that specific conditions were incorporated into the environmental clearance to ensure no adverse impact on the reservoir. It also noted that the clearance explicitly mandates preventing any negative repercussions on the adjoining Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary.
In this context, the recent collapse of the protective wall has drawn heightened attention.
Environmental activist and Jal Biradari National Convener Bolisetty Satyanarayana filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court challenging both the allocation of the 160 acres of temple land and the environmental clearances granted.
The petition requested that the land be returned to the Devasthanam and that all construction works be halted until a comprehensive environmental impact study is concluded. In July, the High Court issued notices seeking explanations from the State Government, SEIAA (State Environment Impact Assessment Authority), SEAC (State Expert Appraisal Committee), Pollution Control Board (PCB), APIIC, Endowments Department, GVMC, and the project developers.
During a hearing on August 24, the High Court emphasized that construction must not proceed without the requisite legal and environmental permits, directing the government to verify whether the works adhered to all necessary clearances.
At the time, the court declined to grant the full status quo requested by the petitioner. Hearings continued into September, where the government assured the court that all statutory provisions were being observed and appropriate safeguards were in place for environmental conservation.
The next hearing has been scheduled for October 5.
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Environmentalist Bolisetty Satyanarayana posted on X stating that land alterations and construction activities in the proposed hyperscale data center project site—located on Simhachalam Devasthanam lands in Arilova’s 13th ward of Visakhapatnam—are now being exposed.
He alleged that because the construction area had been barricaded with a compound wall and blue aluminum sheets, activities taking place inside were previously hidden from public view. With a section of the compound wall collapsing due to the rains, the topographical alterations executed on the hillside slopes have now become clearly visible.
Satyanarayana underscored that safeguarding the natural greenery of the Simhachalam hill ranges, the Mudasarlova catchment areas, and the temple lands are matters of vital public interest, noting that these issues are currently subject to adjudication in the PIL before the AP High Court.
శ్రీ సింహాద్రి అప్పన్న దయతో… వాస్తవాలు ప్రజల ముందుకు వస్తున్నాయి..!
విశాఖపట్నం ఆరిలోవ 13వ వార్డు పరిధిలోని సింహాచలం దేవస్థానం భూములకు సంబంధించిన ప్రతిపాదిత హైపర్స్కేల్ డేటా సెంటర్ ప్రాజెక్టు ప్రాంతంలో జరుగుతున్న భూసంబంధిత మార్పులు, నిర్మాణ పనులు ప్రస్తుతం ప్రజల దృష్టికి… pic.twitter.com/TbTfnBzwBb
— Bolisetty Satyanarayana (@bolisetti_satya) September 22, 2026
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
