Harappa was one of the centers of the Indus Valley Civilization. The other, located about 350 miles away, was Mohenjo-daro. These two large cities were the homes of merchants and craftsmen. Ruins from these cities indicate the people of this culture planned their cities carefully before they built them. The buildings and streets were neatly arranged according to a grid system. Each city had a large granary and water tank as well as homes made of bricks and plaster. The houses were large with several rooms that led into a courtyard. Some of the homes had wells for drinking water and bathing, bathrooms with toilets, and a system for drainage. In fact, the builders of Mohenjo-daro designed and built one of the world’s first drainage and sewage systems for a city.


Give 2 examples explaining why the cities of Harrapa and Mohenjo-Daro were carefully planned.