Ujani AI data centre to use just 0.42 TMC water annually: Administration

Officials assured that the existing water distribution system would remain unchanged and farmers would continue to receive water under the current arrangement

Amid protests over the proposed floating solar power and artificial intelligence (AI) data centre project at Ujani dam, the administration has clarified that it will require just 0.42 TMC of water annually, rejecting claims that consumption could reach six TMC.

The administration assured protesters that no project would proceed without consulting local residents through a public hearing. (HT)

Officials assured that the existing water distribution system would remain unchanged and farmers would continue to receive water under the current arrangement.

On Saturday, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, farmers and fishermen from Pune, Solapur, Ahilyanagar and Dharashiv districts staged a road blockade at Ranjani Chowk on the Pune-Solapur highway, opposing the proposed developments. Protesters alleged that the projects would harm agriculture, fishing activities and the environment.

Pawar claimed that “an AI data centre alone would require around 9 TMC of water, threatening water availability for farming without creating significant employment opportunities. Why were polluting projects being brought to Maharashtra while employment-generating semiconductor projects were going to Gujarat?”

The administration assured protesters that no project would proceed without consulting local residents through a public hearing. However, the agitators warned of a larger protest if the government attempted to push ahead with the proposals.

Mohite-Patil said, “The project would not be accepted under any circumstances and that any attempt to impose it on the people would trigger a massive agitation.” He added that no foundation stone-laying ceremony or related activity would be allowed until the government officially announced the project’s cancellation.

While Pawar led the protest against the project, the BJP’s Solapur unit held a counter-protest in its support.

Solapur district collector S Karthikeyan said the proposal includes a 2,000 MW floating solar power project across 3,000 hectares of the Ujani reservoir, accounting for nine per cent of its total area of 33,630 hectares.

“The data centre would use closed-loop direct-to-chip cooling technology instead of traditional water-based cooling systems,” Karthikeyan said.

The first phase will use 415.75 acres of government land in Bhimanagar-Ranjani village in Madha taluka and Tartgaon and Hingangaon villages in Indapur.

The administration also dismissed fears that five lakh farmers would lose access to water, reiterating that the existing distribution arrangement would not be affected. It clarified that green hydrogen and nuclear power projects, including the proposed small modular reactor (SMR), were not part of the current proposal.

The project is expected to generate 2,800 permanent jobs and 40,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.