Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge (File photo). The Karnataka government is set to introduce a dedicated sustainable data centre policy, in addition to its existing framework to address the environmental impact of massive high-maintenance computing hubs. The shift comes as the state grapples with local resistance and the massive power and water demands required to sustain such data centres. Speaking to The Indian Express, Karnataka IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge said the government has faced pushback at the local level due to data centres creating “heat islands”, localised areas of significantly higher temperatures. “There are technologies that data centres can employ which are better for the environment, more energy efficient, and emit less heat,” Kharge said. The new policy aims to mandate or incentivise these technologies to ensure that the digital growth does not come at the cost of local environmental quality. Data centres require vast quantities of water for cooling.…