"Participating community contribute towards development of a self empowered society. Resultant of this development creates a informed, highly responsible and active denizens leadership."
This post highlights such an experience of a village in the Tribal belt of Gujarat state.

       The Achhala village is located 15 km away from district head quarters Godhra. The village is located inside forest area since the settlements in Achhala are done under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). The powerful sections of the FRA concern the community right to manage, protect and conserve forests which is evident when we observe the village. The dense and big teak trees and the greenery of the place say it all.
         
       For their livelihood and income generation the people in Achhala solely depend on Agriculture and Animal husbandry based activities. Majority of families (about 79 %) is under Below Poverty Line (BPL). There is no other alternatives available within the village hence in non cropping season they had to migrate to urban areas to make their ends meet. But the major issue in the village is scarcity of water for drinking as well as for life saving irrigation of their valuable crops; especially in the hamlets which are comparatively new settlement which don’t have these established facilities.
         
          Gujarat State Watershed Management Agency (GSWMA) under Integrated Watershed Management Program (IWMP) took up watershed development initiatives in the village in year 2009-10. The village is covered under IWMP-5 project of Batch-1, Panchmahals Districts. The project is purely community oriented and local people have a clear say in their resource management, utilization and its conservation. The project is Planned, managed, executed and operated through community based institution (Village Watershed Committee).

 The solution for water problem came across as an outcome of PRA Exercise (Participatory Rural Appraisal) conducted by the Watershed Development Team (WDT) during the initial stage of project planning. The people proposed to construct a Community well which can be useful for both drinking and irrigation. The WDT finalized the activity under Entry point Activity and works were started after the approval of Gram Sabha constructed and completed within months at a cost of RS. 3 Lakhs.That construction activity directly generated benefits through employment for local people. In total 1146 Mandays were generated and in which the BPL households got benefits directly.

         Currently, the community well is main drinking source and water in the well is sufficiently available round the year for household usage. Above all these the villagers were able to do the second crop (Rabi) in that year where they cropped Wheat and Maize. 15 farmers took benefit of irrigation that covered an area of 10 ha. They were able to produce total 100Qtl. Maize and 50Qtl. Wheat out of that season. The monetary benefits counted round about 1.59 Lakhs. With the availability of water in summer the farmers able to do vegetable farming, which is more profitable. Ladyfinger and Beans are major crops cultivated. The details about farmers and their Rabi season crop production is given below.