Indus Valley – How They Managed Their Water Resources

Think of any civilization and it is almost certain that you will find that it thrived along some major river or another. The same is true in the case of the great Indus Valley Civilization. Sometime around 6000 BC nomadic tribes settled down to the west of the River Indus. They lived in small houses and sustained themselves by cultivating wheat and barley. As the years went by the climate began to change bringing along more rainfall. This resulted in a growing population. To feed themselves, they grew more food and started rearing animals. As they progressed, they started trading with distant regions. As the climate and the environment changed again so did the living conditions. They began working with bronze and other metals. Thus began the thriving Indus Valley Civilization.

Domestic water supply
The cities of the Indus valley were known for their water management. Most of the excavations have been found around the areas of the cities of Harappa, Mohenjo-daro and Dholavira. They were known for their obsession with water. They prayed to the rivers everyday and gave them a divine status. They had well-constructed wells, tanks, public baths, a wide drinking system and a city sewage system. Each city had two regions – a higher ground, which contained the ‘Citadel’, was the main administrative area and the lower city where the houses were situated. All the important areas were situated on the higher ground. The baths and wells were situated there, which suggests the importance they were given.

The inhabitants of Mohenjo-daro were masters in constructing wells. It is estimated that about 700 wells have been built within their city, an average of one well for every third house. They were constructed with tapering bricks that were strong enough to last for centuries. The cities too had strong walls to resist damages due to floods. One reason for this large number is that Mohenjo-daro received less winter rain and was situated further from the Indus River than the other prominent cities. Hence it was necessary to collect and store water for various purposes.

Baths and Wells
One of the best-known excavations is the Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro. This great public bath measured 40x30x8 meters. It was built from bricks set in gypsum plaster laid over a waterproof bitumen layer. The sidewalls were made from fine bricks and bitumen layer to prevent water from seeping into the walls. A nearby well provided the water and could be emptied through a drain. The drain is large enough for a person to walk through. The tanks were elaborately decorated and had well thought of conveniences. The bath was surrounded by small rooms that may have housed priests.

In addition to wells, archaeologists have also found remains of giant reservoirs for water storage. Reservoirs were situated around the metropolis which was fortified with stonewalls. The Archaeological Survey of India has revealed that one third of the area of the city of Dholavira in the Rann of Kutch, was devoted to collection and distribution of fresh water. The city was situated on a slope between two streams. At the point where one of the streams meet the city’s walls, people carved a large reservoir out of rock. This was connected to a network of small and big reservoirs that distributed water to the entire city all year round. All the reservoirs together could hold about 325,000 cubic yards of water. Such was the importance they gave for water storage. Something that people today can learn from.

Drainage system
When you have such an extensive domestic water storage system, the next problem that arises is that of drainage. Town planners of Mohenjo-daro had built the worlds first known main drainage system. It was a central system that connected every household in the city. Every house had a drinking water well with a private bathroom. Earthenware waste pipes carried sewage from each home into covered channels that ran along the centres of the city’s main streets into the nearby agricultural fields, rivers, or streams. The drains took waste from kitchens, bathrooms, and indoor toilets. The main drains even had movable stone slabs as inspection points. The houses had excellent plumbing facilities for provision of water. Can you imagine the detailed planning that went into this?

Decline of the River Valley
It is difficult to think that it could have been water itself that brought the mighty civilization to its feet. Dome studies point out that the decline could have resulted from military conquest, economic decline, or earthquakes. Some others point out a major flood that washed water and mud over the cities and drove the inhabitants away. The floods wiped out their irrigation system which was their lifeline and smothered their buildings. It has also been suggested that the drying up could be the result of an earthquake as the entire river lay on an earthquake belt.

No mater what has been said, if a river can make a civilization, it can destroy it as well.