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Endangered Gecko Faces Extinction Due to Mining Project
14 Oct
Summary
- Critically endangered Jeypore ground gecko's habitat is threatened.
- A proposed bauxite mine in Balda hills endangers the gecko.
- Indigenous communities protest the mining project on ancestral lands.
The Jeypore ground gecko, a strikingly patterned and endangered reptile, is under severe threat from a proposed bauxite mining project in Odisha's Balda hills. Only four individuals of this species have been documented in the past year, highlighting its vulnerable status.
This gecko, scientifically described in 1878 and rediscovered in 2010 after being presumed extinct, inhabits high-elevation forests in the northern Eastern Ghats. Its habitat is already shrinking due to the expansion of coffee plantations, hydropower projects, and mining activities.
Adding to the ecological concerns, resident Adivasis have been protesting the proposed 147-hectare opencast bauxite mine by an Adani-linked group for two years. They assert their ancestral land rights over the Balda hills, which are part of the Nageswari reserve forest and a rich biodiversity hotspot.
Ecologists and conservationists emphasize the gecko's significance as a flagship species for the region. They strongly advise against bauxite mining in the Balda hills, prioritizing the conservation of its unique biodiversity, including the Jeypore ground gecko and other endemic species.
