Batam residents protest as data centres grow and their taps run dry

Residents of Batam, Indonesia, protested against data centres at Nongsa Digital Park, claiming their water supply has been cut off for months while data centres use water for cooling. Officials deny data centres are the cause, attributing shortages to drought and El Niño, but have urged centres to switch to seawater desalination. Batam relies on rainwater reservoirs, which are at risk of drying up amid growing data centre investments.