Features of the Harappan town planning|class 12|ncert|BPSC

The most striking features of the Harappan civilization was its town planning. There was an uniformity in the layout of the towns. Almost all measures sites (Harappan, Mohenjodaro, kalibangan and others) are divided into two parts: citadels and the lower parts. The Citadels are situated in the Western parts, small in areas and have high altitudes which protects them from floods and other natural disasters. The Citadels consist of the centre of administration and specific buildings, where as the Lower towns are at the East direction, buildings are made for common people are found.

The other important feature of the town planning was its streets. The streets intersect at right angles in a criss-cross pattern. It divides the city in a several residential blocks, the main street is connected with the narrow lanes. The doors of the houses opened in the lanes and not the main streets. 

The third and important feature of the town planning is the structure of the houses. Generally,  big and large houses were built for the rich and the common people lived in baracks. The rooms are surrounding a square Court -yard. Every house had a private Wells. Some houses are double-storeyed with stairs. The houses had a separate kitchen, bathroom a wall of the house is made  in front the entrance, which kept the privacy of the family from the outsiders.

Burnt bricks with uniform in size are used in making of buildings.

The last but not the least striking features of the planned City was its elaborate and well laid out drainage system. Every house had drains which opened into the street drains. These drains were covered with manholes bricks or stone slabes were constructed at regular intervals by the side of the streets for cleaning. This shows that people were well acquainted with the science of sanitation.