Doomdooma: An Indian roller was found dead on Bhupen Hazarika Setu at Sadiya in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Saturday.
It is suspected that the bird was hit by a passing vehicle due to increasing traffic and pollution.
The Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis), locally known as Neelkanth or “Blue Jay,” is a bird commonly seen in open landscapes in India.
It is a medium-sized bird, about 30–34 cm long, with a wingspan of 65–74 cm. It has brown body feathers with blue-coloured wings, tail, and rump. During flight, the blue colours are clearly visible. Males are known for display flights during the breeding season.
The bird is often seen on roadside wires, trees, or poles, where it hunts insects such as beetles. It is found in grasslands, scrub areas, and agricultural fields, and has adapted to human-influenced habitats, though it now faces increasing pressure.
The 9.15-km-long Bhupen Hazarika Setu, India’s longest bridge over water, connects Assam and Arunachal Pradesh over the Lohit river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. It was opened in 2017 and has improved connectivity, trade, tourism, and movement near the India-China border. However, it has also increased vehicle movement in ecologically sensitive areas.
Experts say pollution from vehicles, including exhaust, noise, and light, along with habitat changes, is affecting local wildlife. Birds like the Indian roller are at risk of being hit in high-traffic areas.
There are also wider impacts such as changes in movement patterns of birds, loss of feeding areas, and stress on river ecosystems.
“Development without ecological foresight is like building a bridge without foundations , it may connect lands but severs the delicate threads of life,” remarked a local conservationist observing the incident.
Another wildlife enthusiast added, “The roller’s blue flash once painted our skies; now, we risk painting our progress with the silent costs of biodiversity loss.”
Experts say infrastructure development should be balanced with environmental protection. Measures such as wildlife corridors, speed control, warning signs, and habitat protection areas are needed.
They add that sustainable development requires balancing infrastructure growth with protection of biodiversity and ecosystems.