History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c32.s2.t3.1

v1.c32.s2.t3.1

Sluices are contrivances in the form of gates or valves through which the flow of water can be controlled or stopped. They are also used for surplus vents. For better flow of water from the reservoir, the sluices are usually installed at points of maximum depth and quite far from the embankments. The sluices were not unknown to the pre-Aryans who had barricaded the streams of seven rivers, Sapta-Sindhavah (RV. I. 51.4; VII 82.3). It is disappointing to note that the northern sources do not offer any tangible material in this connection. Udagabandha (Sanskrit), madagu, kalingu, tūmbu (Tamil), tubu (Kannada) and tumus (Telugu) are the terms generally met with in the inscriptions to denote a sluice (EI. III. No. 20; Silappadikāram, X. 109; XII. 4.1; ANRIE No. 257, 1952; No. 552, 1902, SII, III, p. 392).