Dholavira: The Ancient Harappan City with a Brilliant Water Management System
Amazing Facts : Dholavira – How an Ancient Harappan City Mastered Water Conservation 4,000 Years Ago
The ancient city of Dholavira is an engineering marvel of the Harappan civilisation. Built more than 4000 years ago this site is part of the Unesco World Heritage sites and a testament to Indus Valley Civilisation’s ingenuity in urban planning and conserving water.
A Desert City That Saved Every Drop
Dholavira is located in a dry, salty desert and was initially a challenge to the city planners. For the dry conditions, the city planners and designers of the place made a truly remarkable and impressive construction for water management. They fashioned colossal stone-lined reservoirs, underground drainage systems, and multi-level step wells to gather and preserve rainwater.
Strategically placed around the city, these reservoirs collected rainwater flowing from the nearby slopes. Gravity powered covered drains that directed excess water into larger tanks. Just clever planning; no machines, no pumps.
Step wells and Reservoirs Ahead of Their Time
Dholavira relied on step wells to access water long before step wells became popular in India. The multi-level step wells provided access to water even in the most parched months. Some of the ancient reservoirs were even the size of small pools, carefully lined with stones to keep the water clean and fresh.
A Legacy Unearthed
Unearthed In the 1960s Dholavira was excavated by the Archaeological Suveyour of India. Dholavira showed the world a remarkable urban plan: broad streets, water distributing systems, and well-planned drains demonstrating a sustainable and advanced water system for their time.
Lessons for Today
Unlike modern cities which frequently suffer both droughts and flooding, Dholavira is a Harappan city that the ancient world can teach us a great deal about. It exceptional water preservation methods shifted attitude for water urban use for it modern cities. It turn a harsh desert into a thriving urban center and it lessons are still relevant today.
References
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Archaeological Survey of India – Dholavira Excavation Reports
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The Hindu – Dholavira: India’s Ancient Water Management Marvel
