Bauxite Mining Proposal In Odisha’s Balda Hills Threatens Future Of Rare Ground Gecko, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• A proposed bauxite mining project in Odisha's Balda hills threatens the Jeypore ground gecko, an endangered species rediscovered in 2010 after 130 years.
• Only four individuals of the gecko have been documented in the past year within the proposed 147-hectare opencast mine site, which is part of the Nageswari reserve forest.
• The mining proposal is by Kalinga Alumina Ltd., an Adani-linked group.
• Local Bondo and Porja Adivasi communities have been protesting the project for two years, asserting their ancestral land rights.
• The gecko's previous habitat in Potangi, Odisha, was lost to bauxite mining by National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO).

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Detailed Insights:

• The Jeypore ground gecko (Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis) is a nocturnal, strikingly-patterned reptile endemic to the high-elevation forests (900–1,400 meters) of the Eastern Ghats in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• It is classified as 'Endangered' by the IUCN Red List and listed under Appendix II of CITES, indicating a need to control trade to prevent extinction.
• Bauxite mining, particularly opencast methods, leads to significant environmental degradation, including deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and disruption of critical water systems.
• The Eastern Ghats are an ecologically important region, known for their biodiversity and endemism, supporting a variety of forest types and numerous plant and animal species.
• The protests by Adivasi communities highlight conflicts over land rights and resource utilization in mineral-rich regions, often involving displacement and loss of livelihood for tribal populations.
• The government's refusal to recognize the forest rights of these communities underscores challenges in implementing the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Jeypore Ground Gecko: An endangered reptile species endemic to the Eastern Ghats, facing severe habitat loss.
• Bauxite Mining: An opencast mining process for extracting bauxite, the primary ore for aluminium, known for significant environmental impacts.
• Eastern Ghats: A discontinuous mountain range along India's eastern coast, recognized for its biodiversity, mineral resources, and tribal habitation.
• Forest Rights Act, 2006: Legislation that recognizes and vests forest rights and occupation in forest land to Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers.