GVMC plans water budgeting exercise amid IT & data centre boom

Visakhapatnam: Amid increasing water demand and a series of investment announcements in the IT and data centre sectors for Visakhapatnam, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is planning to undertake a comprehensive water budgeting exercise. As part of this initiative, the civic body will organise a national workshop in collaboration with Singapore Water Centre, ISF Australia, and International Finance Corporation.The exercise will focus on assessing available water resources, identifying major consumer segments, and projecting demand growth up to 2032 and 2047. To meet the anticipated increase in water requirements, there are two major options — laying a dedicated pipeline from Polavaram project, and establishing a desalination plant. Data centres, in particular, are known to require substantial volumes of water for their operations.The significance of this water budgeting exercise has grown in light of recent industrial and IT investment announcements. The establishment of these enterprises is expected to further escalate water demand, making long-term planning for sustainable supply imperative. While some proposed data centres may be located outside GVMC's jurisdiction, water supply is likely to be routed through the city's infrastructure.The state govt has already outlined its plans to transform Visakhapatnam into a major data centre hub, targeting a combined capacity of 6 gigawatts, of which nearly 3 gigawatts have already been announced. In addition, leading IT firms such as Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant, and Accenture have made significant investment announcements for the city.GVMC commissioner Ketan Garg said the proposed workshop, scheduled for March, will deliberate on future water budgeting requirements. "The workshop will examine projected water demand over the next 15 to 20 years, assess available sources, and identify key consumer groups, including domestic households, industries, IT companies and other bulk users. The corporation is simultaneously advancing proposals for a desalination plant at Appikonda, with an initial target capacity of 100 MLD. The proposals have been submitted to the govt. Once approval is granted, we will float a request for proposal for the project," he told TOI.When asked about the water supply mechanism for IT companies, the commissioner said that individual firms are submitting requests specifying their water requirements. "We are providing connections on a chargeable basis according to their needs," added Garg.In addition to meeting domestic and industrial demand through freshwater sources, GVMC is also supplying a portion of tertiary treated water from its sewage treatment plants to several major industries in the city. Not only from the newly announced IT industries, but with many existing industries planning expansions, further pressure on the overall water resources is anticipated. During peak summer months, areas such as Bheemunipatnam and Madhurawada experience water shortages, particularly when infiltration wells along the Gosthani river run dry. Furthermore, with large residential projects emerging across the city and migration expected to rise, overall water demand is set to increase further. In this context, comprehensive planning to augment water drawals — either through a dedicated pipeline from the Polavaram project or by expediting the proposed desalination plant (which would enhance freshwater availability for domestic supply) — may need to be fast-tracked.