What makes an impression is perhaps the splash of bright colours. However, the "2000 Millennium Cartoon Calendar on Water and the Poor' may come as a bit of a disappointment.

Produced by the Water and Sanitation Programme, an international effort under the aegis of the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme, the calendar aims to reflect the concerns of the poor sections of society.

However, it fails to highlight certain environmental concerns. For instance, the issue of decentralisation of water management is barely touched upon. On the other hand, rainwater harvesting does not figure anywhere in the calendar. The emphasis seems to be more on the problems than on viable solutions.

The element of wit, too, is slightly forced. An attempt has, however, been made to satirise obscure government schemes and the obdurate bureaucracy.