A proposed opencast bauxite mine by Kalinga Alumina Ltd, an Adani-linked group, is planned across 147 hectares of forest in the Nageswari reserve forest, Koraput district, Odisha. The Balda hills site is habitat of the endangered Jeypore ground gecko, of which only four individuals were documented there in the past year, as of October 2026.
Species profile and rediscovery
The Jeypore ground gecko, scientifically named Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis, is a gecko species native to Odisha. It was presumed extinct for 130 years before Indian scientists Ishan Agarwal and Aniruddha Datta-Roy rediscovered it in 2010. The species is associated with rocky habitats in the Eastern Ghats region. Geckos are reptiles in the infraorder Gekkota. Many gecko species are nocturnal, and their adhesive toe pads enable movement across surfaces. The Jeypore ground gecko’s known habitat has been affected by land-use changes, including coffee plantations, hydropower projects and mining.
Conservation status and legal protection
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the Jeypore ground gecko as Endangered. The species is included in Appendix II of CITES, effective 18 July 2026. CITES is an international agreement that regulates trade in listed wild animal and plant species. In India, the species receives protection under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The Act provides the legal framework for wildlife protection and regulates activities affecting protected species and their habitats.
Bauxite mining and habitat pressures
The proposed mine is in the Balda hills of Odisha’s Koraput district. Bauxite is the principal ore used to produce alumina, which is processed to make aluminium. The gecko’s former habitat at Potangi in Odisha was lost to bauxite mining by NALCO, and the species is now believed to be extinct at that site.
Important Facts for Exams
- The Jeypore ground gecko’s scientific name is Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis.
- Ishan Agarwal and Aniruddha Datta-Roy rediscovered the species in 2010.
- The species is listed as Endangered by the IUCN and in Appendix II of CITES.
- The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, provides its Schedule I protection in India.
Local communities and land use
Bonda and Porja Adivasi communities have protested the proposed mine for two years and identify the area as ancestral land. The proposed project and existing land-use pressures occur within the gecko’s remaining known habitat in the Balda hills.
