5,000-year-old water management techniques unearthed at Rakhigarhi

The ongoing excavation at the Harappan-era site in Rakhigarhi has unearthed significant evidence of water management, including traces of a water body located between mounds one and two in Rakhigarhi village, Hisar district.

“This appears to be a water storage area with a depth of 3.5 to 4 feet,” Dr Sanjay Manjul, joint director of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), told The Tribune. “It is a testament to the advanced water management techniques employed by the people who lived here around 5,000 years ago.”

Dr Manjul described mounds one, two and three as an “elite zone”, suggesting that they were significant habitation areas for the upper class of the Harappan civilisation. “We have found massive structures indicating that this was an important habitation site for the elite,” he said.

He further revealed that a dried-up riverbed, identified as the Chautang river (also known as the Drishavati river), is located about 300 metres from the site. “This river, now extinct, was likely a lifeline for this region in ancient times. Archaeological evidence suggests the Harappan people stored water from the Drishavati river, which may have been the primary source of water supply for this ancient city,” he said.

Code drilling conducted at the site with the Zoological Survey of India confirmed the presence of this riverbed. Traces of the river were also discovered near mound number seven, further emphasising the township's dependency on these rivers.

Archaeologists believe that the Drishavati river began to dry up around 5,000 years ago, leading to a water crisis in prosperous cities like Rakhigarhi. The gradual disappearance of the Drishavati and Sarasvati rivers likely contributed to the decline of the Harappan civilisation in the region.

“This area may have been the largest water storage centre of its time,” Dr Manjul said, noting the advanced techniques employed by the Harappan people for water storage and conservation. Excavation findings indicate the existence of reservoirs and canals that were part of an intricate water management system.