Module: General Practice
Q18: Consider the following statements regarding the civic water infrastructure and reservoirs at the settlement of Dholavira:
1. Dholavira is geographically located in the arid Rann of Kutch, making sophisticated water conservation a critical necessity for survival.
2. Archaeologists have excavated a series of massive, rock-cut reservoirs at Dholavira that were designed to harvest and store seasonal monsoon runoff.
3. The reservoirs at Dholavira were primarily filled by an extensive network of perennial canals drawing water directly from the Indus River.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
2. Archaeologists have excavated a series of massive, rock-cut reservoirs at Dholavira that were designed to harvest and store seasonal monsoon runoff.
3. The reservoirs at Dholavira were primarily filled by an extensive network of perennial canals drawing water directly from the Indus River.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: A
🎯 Quick Answer:
Option A is the correct answer because statement 3 incorrectly identifies the water source for Dholavira's reservoirs.Structural Breakdown: The city features a spectacular system of up to 16 cascading rock-cut reservoirs.
These massive stone-lined tanks were integrated into the city's fortified layout and were connected by a complex system of channels and dams.
Historical/Related Context: Unlike Mohenjodaro, which relied on hundreds of groundwater wells sunk into the fertile Indus floodplain, Dholavira was situated on Khadir Bet in the Rann of Kutch, where groundwater is brackish and sparse.
Causal Reasoning: Statement 3 is false because Dholavira is hundreds of miles away from the Indus River.
Instead, the Harappan engineers built dams across two local seasonal torrents, the Manhar and the Mansar, to divert and forcefully channel the brief, heavy monsoon floodwaters directly into their massive storage reservoirs to sustain the city through the dry months.