Editing Hydromanagement in Ancient India (section)

=== '''Dholavira: An Aqua City''' ===
Archaeological excavations of the ancient city have uncovered fortified water conservation systems, frequently exhibiting advanced architectural craftsmanship. Archaeological excavations of the ancient city have uncovered fortified water conservation systems, frequently exhibiting advanced architectural craftsmanship (Harish, 2009)<sup>12</sup>.

The city of Dholavira was built between two streams in a way to fully capture the water that would flow into them after every rain. Water from the Mansar, the northern stream, was first led through a channel to a set of reservoirs along the northern perimeter of the city. The harnessing of the Manhar, the southern stream, can probably be dated to the time of the original establishment of the citadel. To the south of the citadel, there is a series of five discernible tanks, which have now been largely excavated. Of these tanks, the most impressive is the one immediately towards the east of the citadel. Measuring almost 75 m north-south and 30 m east-west, it had a triple stepped basin that was over 10 m deep at its maximum. These are thought to have actually been two larger tanks with a levee in between. The more elaborate unit further to the west was highly skilled rock cutting work. In the citadel, flat surfaces, including the tops of the fortification walls, were utilized for their rainwater runoff. It is estimated that the wide fortification wall directed runoff towards channels built within the wall itself. These channels are of unexpectedly large sizes, large enough for a person to walk inside them. There was also a small, stepped cascade on the east wall, which fed the channel in the center. These series of tanks were interconnected with either masonry or rock cut drains depending on the location. Presumably, these drains formed an overflow system such that each tank could be filled up after the preceding one was full. These hydraulic facilities provided the inhabitants of Dholavira with a year round supply of fresh water, even in a desert (Bisht, 2002)<sup>6</sup>