Green Visakha seeks time-bound environmental commitments from poll candidates in Visakhapatnam

Members of Green Visakha and others at a rally against AI data centres in Visakhapatnam. The organisation has asked GVMC poll candidates to make environmental protection a priority. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Green Visakha, an environmental NGO in Visakhapatnam, has urged candidates contesting the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) local body elections to make environmental protection and public health priorities in their election agendas.In a statement issued on Thursday (October 22, 2026), Green Visakha president Raja Rama Mohan Roy called for measurable, time-bound commitments on air pollution, industrial wastewater, drinking water security, forest conservation and urban greening.Green Visakha expressed concern over proposed artificial intelligence (AI) data centres, citing potential impacts on water availability, electricity demand, public health and local infrastructure. It urged the Andhra Pradesh government to halt further steps towards establishing the facilities until their resource requirements and environmental impacts were independently assessed and disclosed for public scrutiny.The organisation said industrial emissions, vehicular pollution and construction dust were concerns in areas including Gajuwaka, Gangavaram and Parawada. It called for stricter pollution monitoring, enforcement of environmental standards and public disclosure of air-quality data.It also urged candidates to protect Kambalakonda forest and Mudasarlova reservoir, prevent the release of untreated industrial wastewater, conserve groundwater recharge zones and ensure the long-term survival of trees planted under greening programmes.Green Visakha called on political parties and candidates to publish their environmental commitments, set measurable targets and timelines and report progress transparently to the public. Published - October 22, 2026 04:17 pm IST