Ujani Dam Data Centre Row: Farmers to Protest at Bhimanagar on October 31; Rohit Pawar Raises 7 to 9 TMC Water Concern
Farmers plan a protest at Bhimanagar near Ujani dam on October 31 over a proposed AI data centre. Rohit Pawar says it could need 7 to 9 TMC of water.
Photo: Nvvchar / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pune, 30th October 2026: A proposed AI data centre near Ujani dam has turned into a water fight. Farmers, farm workers and residents from three districts plan to protest at Bhimanagar near the dam on Saturday, October 31, and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has said he backs the agitation.
Ujani, on the Bhima river at the border of Pune and Solapur districts, is the main source of drinking and irrigation water for large parts of Solapur, Pune’s eastern talukas and nearby areas.
What Rohit Pawar said
In a presentation in Pune on Thursday, October 29, Pawar said work on a 1,500 MW AI data centre near Ujani had already started. He claimed that, once complete over the next three years, it could need at least 7 to 9 TMC of water.
His main question was about priority. In a drought year, he asked, who would get Ujani’s water first: drinking water, farmers, industry or data centres? He demanded a written assurance that drinking and irrigation water would not be diverted to data centres during drought, especially with El Niño expected to bring below-normal rain.
Pawar also cited figures from a presentation claiming temperatures within 10 km could rise by 4 to 5°C and that cooling systems could produce noise up to 96 decibels. These are his claims and have not been independently verified.
Other projects in the area
Pawar said a nuclear power plant, floating solar, battery storage and green hydrogen projects were also planned in the area, and argued that floating solar could hurt fish numbers. He asked for close scrutiny of the proposal to give Ujani wetland Ramsar site status, given its value for farming, fisheries and birds.
He also criticised a change in policy that cut the renewable energy requirement for data centres from 100 per cent to 51 per cent, and questioned subsidies and power concessions. He said Maharashtra should get automobile, textile or chip manufacturing hubs instead.
Government’s side
No official response from the state government had been reported at the time of writing. The government has been promoting large data centre investments as part of its technology policy. We will add the government’s response when it comes.
Why it matters for Pune
Pune district is already short of water this year. The state has said it is planning supply till August 2027, and PMC is set to decide on restrictions. Read our Pune water supply update and more politics and government news.
This is a developing story. We will update it after the October 31 protest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Ujani dam protest?
Farmers plan to protest at Bhimanagar, near Ujani dam, on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
How much water could the Ujani data centre need?
Rohit Pawar claimed it could need at least 7 to 9 TMC of water once complete. This figure has not been confirmed by the government.
Where is Ujani dam?
Ujani dam is on the Bhima river at the border of Pune and Solapur districts in Maharashtra.
