Dholavira Reservoirs and Water Architecture

Record summary

Dholavira, a major Indus Civilization settlement, contains extensive reservoirs, drains, channels, and carefully planned urban divisions. The remains provide a strong comparison for how an urban community adapted to seasonal rainfall, limited surface water, and variable environmental conditions. Excavator R. S. Bisht emphasized the scale and integration of the system, while current scholarship continues to examine chronology, maintenance, catchment behavior, and the relationship between water storage and social organization. Claims that the entire arrangement proves centralized hydraulic control remain interpretive rather than directly demonstrated.