Drainage System of Harappan cities

The Indus Valley Civilization had cities that were equipped with complex water and sewage systems. Houses with single, double, and more rooms attached with a very good drainage system were found in many of the sites of Indus Valley. Kitchens and bathrooms also had drains, which were connected to the street drains these drains were covered with bricks and sometimes with stone slabs. The wastes traveled from the flushing toilets into one of many sewage pipes that carried out the waste into a river or sea if the waste did not go into a pipe then it went into a cesspool. Corbelled drains were the main source of collecting sewage and rainwater, they may have also been used to drain large baths that the people use for ritual bathing.

Toilets of Harappan Cities

The Trines were communal areas that contained one or more toilets. There were two types of toilet latrines the pit toilets and flush toilets. Pit toilets were easier to build because the people just had to make a hole in the ground whereas flush toilets were similar to the modern ones.

Fresh Water of Harappan Cities

An architect’s view of Lothal shows the pipes as they let out of the city and into the forest. The pictures of Lothal also show how some pipes brought water into the city for freshwater use. Private baths were common in the cities of Lothal, Harappa, and Mohenjo-Daro as many of them were excavated during archaeological digs. Wells was a major source of clean fresh water and they also provided a place for people to wash their clothes.

Sanitary Sewer of Harappan Cities

Sanitary sewers were underground pathways for ways to travel. The main sewer was connected to all of the north to south and east to west sewers, as it ran through the city. At the end of the main sewer was a wooden screen that kept back the solid waste but allowed the liquids to continue through and to a cesspool. From there the waste was taken from the cesspool and into the river estuary. They were also used for taking used dirty water out of the city. 

Conclusion

The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the oldest and developed civilizations of its time. Harappan Civilization was well known to all for its town planning and drainage system. The cities were very well structured and developed. Collection and disposal of waste were also done in a nice manner as a wooden screen was placed at end of the main sewer, this shows that they were also aware of water pollution. Streets were also construed in an engineering style and also made up of burnt bricks and having well drainage system.  It’s very unfortunate that none of the Harappan architecture has completely survived the test of time all we see today are that ruins are very sophisticated. An advanced civilization whose architecture continues to be the center of historical debate for so many because so many remains are excavated and unexplored.

Town Planning and Drainage System of the Harappan Civilization were the features that differentiated it from the other Civilization. This famous civilization is also known as Indus Valley Civilization and it was a Bronze Age civilization, situated in the present geographical location from North-West India to North-East Afghanistan and Pakistan. This civilization flourished in the river basins of the Indus and the Ghaggar-Hakra River. Harappan Civilization is famous for its systematic planning based on the grid system. 

In 1921-1922 an excavation campaign led by Sir John Hubert Marshall discovered the ruins of the city of Harappa for the first time. In 1922 R. D. Banerji excavated the site Mohenjodaro in the Larkana District Of Sind on the bank of Indus. The major cities found in the excavation are Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Mehrgarh, and Ganeriwala in modern-day Pakistan and Lothal, Dholavira, Surkotada, Rakhigarhi, and Rupal in modern-day India. More than 1000 cities were discovered near the Indus River and its tributaries till 1999.

The town planning of Harappan was well-developed urban types planning. The buildings were sturdy and made of burnt brick and stone. Evidence of town buildings like granaries, warehouses, and brick walls suggest a great deal of architectural planning, efficiency, and town planning of Harappan. The people of the Indus Valley built their cities with the right planning and with a set of patterns. About 40,000 people could live in a proper city in the Indus Valley. Along with the town planning of Harappan, the drainage system of Harappan Civilization was also well planned and can be compared to every modern city.