Read the passage and answer the questions:
The most ancient system yet discovered
About the drains, Mackay noted: “It is certainly the most complete ancient system as yet discovered.” Every house was connected to the street drains. The main channels were made of bricks set in mortar and were covered with loose bricks that could be removed for cleaning. In some cases, limestone was used for the covers. House drains first emptied into a sump or cesspit into which solid matter settled while waste water flowed out into the street drain. Very long drainage channels were provided at intervals with sumps for cleaning. It is a wonder of archaeology that “little heaps of materials, mostly sand, have frequently been found lying alongside drainage channels, which shows... that the debris was not always carted away when the drain was cleared”. Drainage systems were not unique to the larger cities, but were found in smaller settlements as well. At Lothal for example, while houses were built of mud bricks, drains were made of burnt bricks.
Two of the below-given features of Harappan Civilisation are incorrect. Identify:
(A) It had a planned drainage system.
(B) It comprised mostly of rural settlements.
(C) The roads and streets were laid out along the grid pattern.
(D) Most settlements have a larger high section and a smaller lower section.
(E) Burials were mostly in the form of pits.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (B), (D) only
(A) It had a planned drainage system. Correct statement. One of the most distinctive features of Harappan cities was the carefully planned drainage system; every house was connected to the street drains.
(B) It comprised mostly of rural settlements. Incorrect statement. What sets the Harappan civilisation apart is its urban centres, such as Mohenjodaro, a planned city, and Harappa.
(C) The roads and streets were laid out along the grid pattern. Correct statement. In the Lower Town, roads and streets were laid out along an approximate “grid” pattern, intersecting at right angles.
(D) Most settlements have a larger high section and a smaller lower section. Incorrect statement. It is the other way round. The settlement was divided into two sections, one smaller but higher (the Citadel) and the other much larger but lower (the Lower Town).
(E) Burials were mostly in the form of pits. Correct statement. At burials in Harappan sites the dead were generally laid in pits, some of them lined with bricks.
NCERT (2026-27): “3. Mohanjodaro A Planned Urban Centre … Perhaps the most unique feature of the Harappan civilisation was the development of urban centres. Let us look at one such centre, Mohenjodaro, more closely. Although Mohenjodaro is the most well-known site, the first site to be discovered was Harappa.… 3.1 Laying out drains … One of the most distinctive features of Harappan cities was the carefully planned drainage system. If you look at the plan of the Lower Town you will notice that roads and streets were laid out along an approximate ‘grid’ pattern, intersecting at right angles.… Citadels … While most Harappan settlements have a small high western part and a larger lower eastern section, there are variations.… 4.1 Burials … At burials in Harappan sites the dead were generally laid in pits. Sometimes, there were differences in the way the burial pit was made – in some instances, the hollowed-out spaces were lined with bricks.…” |