Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c11.53

c11.53

Its Amenities. The city offered considerabale amenities of life to its ordinary citizens under the regulations of its Municipality already described. Every street had its water-courses serving as house-drains and issuing ultimately into the moat. Their obstruction by deposit of rubbish or any other article was punished. The law of easement was known. Houses could not have windows overlooking each other except across the street. Instead of a mechanised Fire-Brigade, there was a standing provision of vessels of water kept "in thousands" in the streets. Protection of property was further assured by a curfew order prohibiting movement at night in the interval announced by the trumpet. The Mayor of the city had to report all incidents and take charge of all lost and ownerless property. The security of the city, the problems of its Law and Order, were further secured by the Municipal Regulation that all inns, hostelries, sarais and places of entertainment should be under surveillance and should send reports of new arrivals.