MUMBAI, Oct. 13 -- The Maharashtra government has approved 12 new data centre projects across the state, taking the number of operational and proposed facilities to 32. The 12 projects, for which letters of intent were recently issued, are largely concentrated in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) except for one coming up in Pune IT hub Hinjewadi. However, after concerns raised by environmental experts, local residents and legislators on the environmental impact of data centres, the government on Monday also constituted a committee headed by former Atomic Energy Commission chairperson Dr Anil Kakodkar to assess the sector's impact on water, electricity, the environment and local communities. Data centres are resource-intensive in nature and require substantial amounts of electricity and water for computing operations and cooling. Maharashtra, which is attracting substantial investments in the sector, has positioned itself as a major data centre hub. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has set a target of locating 60% of the country's data centres in MMR. Among the 12 recently approved projects, the largest, on a plot measuring 1,33,871 square metres, is by STT Global Data Centres India Private Limited in Ambernath. Another project, proposed by Rochak Systems Private Limited, will come up on 1,14,500 square metres at the Trans-Thane Creek Industrial Area in Navi Mumbai. The approvals include two data centre parks, one by Lodha Developers in Ambernath on 26,55,587 square metres and the other by Gigaplex Estate Private Limited in Airoli, Navi Mumbai on 1,13,031 square metres. Data centres house powerful computer systems that store and process digital information and support applications ranging from cloud computing to artificial intelligence. Their expansion has sparked concerns globally over rising electricity demand, water consumption and the pressure they can place on local infrastructure. According to an estimate by the International Energy Agency, a 100-megawatt hyperscale data centre can consume around two million litres of water a day. In comparison, Mumbai's domestic water consumption is approximately 135 litres per person per day. Following concerns raised by MLAs during the monsoon session regarding data centres straining water resources, energy, air quality, noise, ecosystems, and daily life, the state government formed an expert committee led by Dr Kakodkar to conduct a scientific evaluation. The panel has three months from the government resolution to issue a report with policy recommendations based on objective, technical data. Its mandate includes examining water conservation, alternative cooling, energy efficiency, green facilities, and global best practices. Additionally, the committee will address public misconceptions, draft awareness guidelines, establish a standard operating procedure, and recommend strategies to boost local employment, skill development, and corporate social responsibility. The committee comprises senior officials: the additional chief secretary (energy); principal secretaries (water resources, industries, environment/climate change); MIDC chief executive officer; industries commissioner; and managing directors of state electricity distribution and transmission companies. Together, these key stakeholders will formulate guidelines to balance data centre expansion with environmental sustainability, local community welfare across the state....