Assam's Floods (once a boon) Are So Destructive Now - Why? Arupjyoti Saikia Explains

Assam’s July floods were explained as a consequence of heavy rainfall. That is true, but incomplete. Historian Arupjyoti Saikia joins us to uncover the much longer history behind the catastrophe: the earthquakes that transformed the Brahmaputra, the failed embankment experiment, changing sediment, dams and extraction in the highlands, erased wetlands, and a political economy built around flood control and relief. We discuss why a single river basin is governed in fragments; whether climate change is becoming an alibi for destructive decisions, and what farmers, graziers and fisherwomen understand about the river that technocratic planning does not.ABOUT US:Arati Kumar Rao on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aratikumarrao/Arati on Substack: https://aratikumarrao.substack.com/Prem Panicker on X: https://x.com/prempanickerPrem on Substack: https://prempanicker.substack.com/Our email: marginlands @gmail.com  ARUPJYOTI SAIKIA'S BOOKS: 1. The Unquiet River: A biography of the Brahmaputra: https://www.amazon.in/UNQUIET-RIVER-C-Arupjyoti-Saikia/dp/0199468117/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-12. The Quest for Modern Assam: A History (1942-2000): https://www.amazon.in/Quest-Modern-Assam-History-1942-2000-ebook/dp/B0CD824NQB/?_encoding=UTF83. Forests and Ecological History of Assam, 1826–2000: https://www.amazon.in/Forests-Ecological-History-Assam-1826-2000-ebook/dp/B0746LGL51/?_encoding=UTF84. India’s Forests: Revisiting Nature and History (with Mahesh Rangarajan): https://www.amazon.in/Indias-Forests-Revisiting-Nature-History-ebook/dp/B0GMH7F4QZ/?_encoding=UTF85. A Century of Protests: Peasant Politics in Assam Since 1900: https://www.amazon.in/Century-Protests-Peasant-Politics-Assam/dp/0415811945/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-16. Jungles, Reserves, Wildlife: A history of forests in Assam: https://www.ovid.com/jnls/coas/fulltext/01370234-200503020-00014~jungles-reserves-wildlife-a-history-of-forests-in-assam SELECTED WRITINGSMaking sense of Assam floods: Why rivers turned violent in the 20th century — Arupjyoti Saikia and Jagdish Krishnaswamy: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/making-sense-of-assam-floods-why-rivers-turned-violent-in-the-20th-century-8010362/Jute in the Brahmaputra Valley: The Making of Flood Control in Twentieth-Century Assam: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/abs/jute-in-the-brahmaputra-valley-the-making-of-flood-control-in-twentiethcentury-assam/4AF82003858518B8FBDE6E7C9CBEAB5FFlood Mitigation, Climate Change Adaptation and Technological Lock-In in Assam: https://ecoinsee.org/journal/ojs/index.php/ees/article/view/150Nature and Assam’s Present: https://www.india-seminar.com/2017/690/690_arupjyoti_saikia.htmEcology, Floods and the Political Economy of Hydropower: https://pmml.nic.in/downloadSeries/121Assam floods aren't just about Brahmaputra: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/assam-floods-arent-just-about-the-brahmaputra-10834633/Making sense of Assam floods (with Jagdish Krishnaswamy): https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/making-sense-of-assam-floods-why-rivers-turned-violent-in-the-20th-century-8010362/WATCH AND LISTENThe Unquiet River: Brahmaputra: https://bengaluru.sciencegallery.com/submerge/confluence/arupjyoti-saikiaGold Washers, Fishermen and Boatmen: Was There a Pre-modern Life of the Brahmaputra?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5Ib1Tgtm8AThe Quest for Modern Assam (Asian Review of Books): https://megaphone.link/NSR3351490911RELATED READINGEngineering a season of floods (Amitangshu Acharya, LiveMint): https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/engineering-a-season-of-floods-11573832077930.htmlIndia Today: How disruption in the surrounding highlands intensifies flooding in Assam: https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/assam-floods-nagaland-arunachal-hill-erosion-experts-solutions-2969082-2026-08-12Assam floods: Engineering alone cannot help (SANDRP): https://sandrp.in/2026/08/17/drp-170826-assam-floods-engineering-alone-cannot-help/Mongabay India: Assam’s floods expose a crisis beyond heavy rain: https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/assam-floods-expose-a-crisis-beyond-heavy-rain/Upper Assam’s flood catastrophe a direct result of river and mountain grabbing (Scroll): https://scroll.in/article/1095046/upper-assams-flood-catastrophe-is-a-direct-result-of-river-and-mountain-grabbingNewslaundry: The making of Assam’s annual “unprecedented” flood: https://www.newslaundry.com/2026/07/30/at-least-75-dead-7-lakh-displaced-the-making-of-assams-annual-unprecedented-floodEOMContact us:Email the PodcastArati Kumar-Rao on Instagram Prem Panicker on X (Twitter) Prem on SubstackFrom The Marginlands on Instagram