Kolleru Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in the districts of East and West Godavari of Andhra Pradesh. The major population centres in the Kolleru Lake region are the 148 villages of which 50 bed villages and 98 belt villages. All bed and belt villages in lake region have atleast one drinking water pond.

Following the monsoon failure of 1999 2000, two states Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh launched crash programmes to encourage water harvesting. An appreciable shift, because governments in India have always gone in for high cost, high technology solutions

Report card: The government realised its failures and learned from the civil society. Despite cases of corruption and some errors in planning, the government programme is an achievement
Success level: Good

Report card: A scheme that can help solve the water crisis has become a tool to promote political interests of the ruling party
Success level: Poor

GOOD NEWS: There is more evidence to show that water harvesting can go a long way in dealing with drought and solving the water crisis, and even governments in India are learning
BAD NEWS: Crash programmes are not the answers by themsel