Gandhinagar: A tribal-dominated village in Surat district that once saw its surrounding forests devastated by drought is set to become a training hub for community-led forest conservation, with plans to train around 7,500 members of joint forest management (JFM) committees over the next five years.Balethi village in Mandvi taluka witnessed the destruction of its surrounding forests during three consecutive years of drought from 1986 to 1988. An official statement said that in response, villagers took the initiative to protect and regenerate the forests through community participation.The effort has since been carried forward by Vinay Chaudhary, president of the Balethi forest regeneration and village development committee, along with other villagers. The model has reportedly inspired more than 65 villages in Mandvi, highlighting the role of community participation in forest conservation.As part of efforts to institutionalise the initiative, villagers have proposed restoring the village’s historic school building and developing it into a centre of excellence for JFM. The state has decided to take forward the proposal by providing support to the initiative.The proposed centre is expected to support training for members of Gujarat’s 3,414 JFM committees. Over five years, the plan is to train members of 2,500 committees, with the sessions conducted by experienced villagers from Balethi itself. The initiative seeks to replicate Balethi’s experience across Gujarat, equipping village-level forest management groups with practical knowledge of forest regeneration, resource conservation and community-led development.The village has also undertaken measures to reduce pressure on forests by installing 162 biogas plants and constructing four check dams. These interventions are aimed at reducing dependence on forest resources while supporting local water conservation.
