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. The model has reportedly inspired more than 65 villages in Mandvi, highlighting the role of community participation in forest conservation.
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 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.