Navi Mumbai: Amid environmentalists’ concerns that India’s fast-growing AI-driven data-centre sector could guzzle up to 37.5 billion litres of water annually, the Centre said the country has begun tapping high-tech cooling systems to reduce water usage. The consumption is equivalent to the annual needs of about 7-8 lakh people, or enough to supply a city like Mumbai for about a week, NatConnect Foundation said, based on the urban water norm of 135 litres per person per day set by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation.Raising the issue with the Prime Minister on Feb 24, NatConnect Foundation director BN Kumar expressed concern that the expanding data-centre industry could threaten India’s water security and urged integration of water stewardship into the country’s growing AI infrastructure.BN Kumar said, “India’s data-centre capacity has risen from about 375 MW in 2020 to over 1,500 MW in 2025, official records show, reflecting rapid growth driven by artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Based on global benchmarks-cited by activists and drawn from bodies such as the International Energy Agency and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory-a conventionally cooled 1 MW facility can consume around 25 million litres of water annually.”NatConnect noted that India supports nearly 18% of the world’s population with only about 4% of its freshwater resources, warning that rising data-centre demand could worsen existing water stress. Hundreds of millions already face water scarcity, while groundwater levels are declining in several states and agriculture remains heavily dependent on aquifers. Responding to the concerns, the Ministry of Jal Shakti said it appreciated Kumar’s suggestions and sought further inputs. In its reply on April 27, signed by under secretary Shambhu Nath Gupta, the Ministry said data centres are increasingly deploying advanced technologies such as direct-to-chip liquid cooling-where coolant is delivered directly to heat-generating processors-along with adiabatic cooling, immersion systems and high-density racks to reduce both water and energy consumption while supporting high-performance computing workloads.Kumar said, “India also has an opportunity to lead in climate-resilient and resource-efficient digital infrastructure, noting that liquid and immersion cooling, closed-loop systems and wastewater reuse can significantly reduce dependence on freshwater compared with conventional cooling methods.” The Ministry highlighted measures including rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, wastewater reuse and digital groundwater monitoring as part of broader efforts to ensure sustainable resource use.
