Indonesians furious as Batam data centres drain taps: ‘we cannot cook without water’

Cooking and bathing became difficult when taps ran dry in Batam, an Indonesian island where residents are protesting against data centres springing up to power the global artificial intelligence boom.

The area had suffered a “long drought” caused by low rainfall, the local water utility operator said, as a strong El Nino cycle exacerbates dry weather.

But, as in other countries, anger has been directed at the data centres, warehouse-like facilities that keep apps and AI tools running, with water...