SSC Typing Practice Passage: Town planning in the Indus Valley Civilisation

More than four thousand years ago, people living in the valleys of the Indus and its tributaries built some of the most carefully planned cities of the ancient world. The remains of these cities were first identified in the 1920s at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, in present-day Pakistan. Since then, many more sites have been discovered in India, including Lothal and Dholavira in Gujarat, Kalibangan in Rajasthan and Rakhigarhi in Haryana.

The most striking feature of these cities is their town planning. Streets were laid out in a grid pattern, crossing one another at right angles and dividing the city into blocks. Many cities were divided into two parts: a raised citadel on the western side and a larger lower town where most people lived. Houses were built of baked bricks of standard sizes, and many had their own wells and bathrooms.

The drainage system was remarkable for its time. Covered drains ran along the streets, and waste water from houses flowed into them through smaller channels. Inspection holes were provided at intervals so that the drains could be cleaned. Few cities in the ancient world paid such attention to public sanitation, and the system suggests the presence of a strong civic authority.

Mohenjo-daro is famous for the Great Bath, a large rectangular tank made watertight with layers of bricks and natural tar. It may have been used for ritual bathing. Large buildings described as granaries have also been found at several sites. At Lothal, archaeologists discovered a structure that many believe to be a dockyard, showing that the people of the civilisation traded by sea. Dholavira, with its impressive water reservoirs, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2021.

The people of the Indus Valley used standard weights and measures, made fine pottery, beads and ornaments, and carved seals with images of animals and short inscriptions. Their script has not yet been deciphered, so much about their beliefs and government remains a mystery.

The civilisation began to decline after about 1900 BCE, possibly because of changes in climate and rivers, decline in trade and other factors. Yet its achievements remain a source of wonder. The planned streets and covered drains of these ancient cities remind modern planners that good sanitation and orderly growth are not new ideas.