Question

How was rainwater harvesting developed in ancient India?

Answer 1

Hint:Ancient Indians implemented effective solutions to tackle problems like drought and floods. People in each region exploited their own rainwater harvesting techniques saving every drop of rainwater. Water harvesting has been practiced in India since time immemorial and it is also mentioned in ancient scriptures.

Complete answer:The concept of harvesting and conservation of water has been imbibed into the cultures of India, where water is considered to be a goddess.
Rainwater harvesting developed in ancient India in many ways. In the first century BC, a town near Allahabad by the name of Sringaverapura had a well- developed and sophisticated channel system to harvest the flood water of the river Ganga. During the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, dams, irrigation systems, and harvesting systems were extensively built throughout his kingdom. In the 11th century, one of the largest artificial lakes of that time was built in Bhopal and is known as the Bhopal Lake. In the 14th century, the then ruler of Delhi sultanate, Iltutmish, constructed a tank in Hauz Khas for supplying water to the Siri Fort.

Note: Many archaeological pieces of evidence show the implementation of water harvesting and flood controlling techniques in ancient India. Excavations in the Indus valley sites and in Western India which date back to 8000 years reveal various proofs of the presence of brilliant systems of water harvesting and channeling. Water harvesting systems were also widely built on top of the roofs of the houses in India in order to maximize the amount of rainwater collected and reused efficiently.