Discuss the ecological and governance issues raised by the proposed mining in the habitat of the Jeypore ground gecko.

The Jeypore ground gecko illustrates the conservation value of rediscovered, range-restricted species and the governance cost of approving irreversible habitat disturbance under ecological uncertainty.

• The species was presumed extinct for 130 years and rediscovered in 2010.
• It is associated with 900–1,400 metre Eastern Ghats forests and boulder microhabitats.
• Only four individuals were documented recently in the reported area.

• The proposed Balda hills mine covers 147 hectares within Nageswari reserve forest.
• Bondo and Porja Adivasis describe the area as ancestral land and have protested the proposal.
• Mining, roads, waste and associated activity can fragment habitat before life-cycle data are complete.

1. Require rigorous baseline and cumulative-impact studies.
2. Apply precaution, avoidance and species-specific monitoring.
3. Conduct meaningful public hearings across affected districts.
4. Recognise lawful community claims and publish compliance data.

Jeypore ground gecko; Eastern Ghats; habitat fragmentation; precautionary principle; mining; Adivasi rights; public hearing