Sanjay Raut Urges CM Fadnavis to Halt Proposed 54-Acre Amazon Data Center in Thane, Demands Independent Technical Probe
MUMBAI / THANE — Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has addressed an urgent letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding an immediate freeze and a comprehensive independent audit of the proposed Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center planned across 54 acres in a densely populated residential sector of Thane.In the letter dated October 20, 2026, Raut highlighted widespread discontent among local citizens, citing critical threats to basic municipal resources including potable water security, high-voltage power stability, acoustic levels, and urban environmental balance.Public Resistance and Resource StrainsUnderlining interventions previously raised by former minister Aaditya Thackeray, Raut noted that setting up an industrial-scale hyperscale data facility adjacent to residential societies imposes severe public infrastructure risks.
The primary areas of concern outlined in the communication include:Water Depletion: Commercial cooling towers for data complexes demand significant volumes of water daily. In a state managing recurring drought stresses and municipal water cuts, diverting local supply to industrial cooling creates critical resource friction.Grid Stability: High continuous electrical draw required for servers and auxiliary infrastructure threatens local distribution grids, with ambiguous accountability over feeder upgrade costs.Environmental & Noise Hazards: Massive backup diesel generators, persistent mechanical chiller emissions, and large-scale tree felling present substantial air and acoustic pollution hazards for nearby housing complexes. Civic Rights & Intimidation: Raut raised serious concern over alleged intimidation directed at local resident groups protesting the development, calling for full police protection and administrative transparency. Reference to Global PrecedentsRaut drew comparisons to policy re-evaluations across international jurisdictions, citing recent deliberations in parts of the United States—including temporary halts in Texas and New York over power grid capacity and watershed protection. He urged the state leadership to account for global best practices and ecological constraints rather than rushing industrial approvals in residential pockets.Charter of Demands Submitted to the Government
The letter outlines an eight-point actionable roadmap:Multi-Agency Joint Review: Immediate convention of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), power discoms, water supply authorities, and resident welfare delegates.Statutory Transparency: Public disclosure of all tree-felling, environmental clearances, and zoning permissions under Indian environmental statutes.Cooling & Water Verification: Third-party expert audits into true consumption metrics and empirical validation of “water-free” operational claims.Energy Load Assessments: Formal disclosure of peak power draw and local substation infrastructure planning.Acoustic & Emission Compliance: Verification of buffer zones and permissible Decibel (dB) thresholds for generator backups.Open Public Hearings: Mandatory town-hall proceedings with published minutes and firm resolution timelines.Statutory Cease on Violations: Immediate stop-work action wherever environmental or planning conditions are breached.Statewide Data Center Policy: Enactment of state regulations governing hyper-scale data parks relative to urban boundaries and residential buffer zones, keeping the Thane site stalled until an objective assessment concludes.The state government’s response regarding the project’s regulatory clearances and environmental audits is awaited.