A question posted by Shashi Tharoor on X quickly became the starting point for a wide-ranging debate about the environmental cost of the rush to build data centres at scale.
Tharoor's Post
Tharoor wrote on X:
Perhaps we need to slow down on building so many water-guzzling power-burning data centres then?
The post was short but pointed. Tharoor was raising the question of whether the rapid construction of data centres, which consume large amounts of water and power, is proceeding without sufficient thought being given to the environmental consequences. The phrase he chose, calling these facilities water-guzzling and power-burning, underlined just how resource-intensive they are.
Public Reaction
The response was sharply divided. A section of users backed Tharoor, arguing that the strain on water and energy resources is a serious issue that cannot be pushed aside in the pursuit of technological advancement. Others pushed back firmly, contending that hesitating at this stage would cost the country ground in the high-stakes global AI and technology race.
