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

After the Gujarat government realised the failure of its water harvesting programmes between 1997 and 2000, it turned to civil society groups (CSGs) for solutions. There are some outstanding efforts

Gujarat's minister for Narmada and major irrigation projects, Jay Narain Vyas, has a difficult job. He is in charge of handling an issue that draws extremely emotional and polarised responses. He

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