Drinking water is one of the basic necessities of mankind. In drought-prone regions, this could become a source of serious stress, particularly for poor people who may not own any private wells. The case discusses how the drinking water supply was organized in one such district. Despite several innovative efforts, the problem of coordination between the Zilla Parishad, Drought-Prone Region Development Authority (DRDA), Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and other bodies involved in the project prevented full realization of results. Several important issues with regard to organization of developmental programmes-particularly in stress-prone regions-emerge from the case.