Why Maharashtra's data centre expansion is raising water concerns amid drought

New Delhi: With drought conditions declared in 265 of Maharashtra’s 358 talukas, the state’s ambitious data-centre expansion plans have raised questions over how water resources will be allocated between agriculture, households and industries. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera has questioned the government’s priorities, asking whether farmers’ water needs could be affected by the growing demand from data centres.

The concerns come as Maharashtra grapples with deficient rainfall and prolonged dry spells during the 2026 Kharif season, even as it seeks to attract investments worth billions of dollars into its digital infrastructure sector.

In a post on X, Khera said, “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has officially declared drought in 265 of Maharashtra’s 358 talukas - nearly 75% of the state. And this is happening as Maharashtra aggressively expands its data-centre industry.”

The Congress leader said Maharashtra had attracted more than USD 300 billion in investment interest for data centres and was targeting 5.7 GW of data-centre capacity by 2032.

The expansion has brought attention to the water requirements of such facilities, which depend on cooling technologies and can require significant amounts of water, particularly in regions already facing shortages.

“The amount of water they consume depends on the cooling technology used, but water requirement is an important consideration, particularly in water-stressed regions like Maharashtra,” he said.

Reclaimed wastewater for industries

Khera also raised questions about the state’s reported plans to treat and reclaim sewage for industrial use, including supplying treated water to data centres.

“The government is reportedly planning a system where municipal corporations treat sewage, MIDC further purifies it, and the reclaimed water is then sold to data centres and other industries,” Khera said.

While the proposed system could provide an alternative source of water for industries, Khera questioned whether similar efforts were being made to ensure reclaimed water was available for agriculture.

He also sought clarity on how the government would prevent water resources from being diverted away from farmers and households to support the expansion of data centres.

“When nearly three-fourths of Maharashtra is officially under drought, what is the government’s plan to ensure that the state’s water resources are not diverted away from farmers and ordinary citizens to fuel this massive data-centre expansion?” he asked.

Khera further questioned, “In a state like Maharashtra - which has one of India’s highest farmer-suicide rates - who has the first right over water: farmers or data centres?”

He also asked why similar urgency was not being shown in providing reclaimed water for agriculture if the state was prepared to develop systems to treat sewage for industrial use.

Drought relief measures

The Maharashtra government has declared drought conditions in 265 of the state’s 358 talukas, covering nearly 74 per cent of the state, following deficient rainfall and prolonged dry spells during the 2026 Kharif season.

The government has announced several relief measures for affected farmers and rural households, including crop-loan restructuring, deferment of agriculture-related loan recovery, concessions on land revenue and agricultural electricity bills, and the deployment of water tankers wherever required.

Other measures include arrangements for fodder, relaxation of employment-guarantee scheme norms and directions to district collectors to begin crop-loss assessments.

The government has said financial assistance for crop losses will be announced separately after the prescribed assessment process is completed.

Data behind Maharashtra's drought and data centre expansion

Rainfall data showed that the state received 755.9 mm of rain between June and September 18, compared with the average of 932.3 mm, marking an 18.8 per cent shortfall.

The deficit was particularly severe in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, where rainfall was 30.8 per cent below normal. The prolonged dry spells and inadequate rainfall have affected agricultural activities across the state.