Residents of Khora, a densely populated area in Ghaziabad near New Delhi, have faced persistent water shortages, with some needing to dig 1,000-1,200 feet (305-366 meters) to access groundwater. Deepak Joshi, president of the Khora Residents' Association, noted that despite efforts over the past decade, the water crisis remains unresolved. Carpenter Naeemuddin Saifi, a Khora resident for 35 years, still lacks a personal water connection.

India is rapidly growing as a data center hub, with total capacity quadrupling from about 375 megawatts in 2020 to approximately 1,500 megawatts in 2025, according to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Currently, there are 305 data centers across the country, per the Data Center Map.

These data centers require vast amounts of water to cool servers, exacerbating water stress in regions like Ghaziabad and Noida. Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri, head of the Department of Natural and Applied Sciences at TERI University, explained that urbanization in these areas was initially promoted with claims of abundant water from canals, rivers, and groundwater. However, Prateek Aggarwal of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) highlighted that Noida faces particularly high water stress due to rapid urban demand growth and continued reliance on groundwater.

The Central Ground Water Board reported that annual extractable groundwater resources are around 2,714 hectare meters, yet water extraction in 2024-2025 reached about 272% of the recommended limit. Even borewells are unreliable long-term solutions, with water levels potentially dropping within months.

Overall, water usage is increasing and is not limited to groundwater sources, intensifying the challenge for residents and infrastructure alike.

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