Instance of Rural Development in India: A Case Study of a

Model
Village Hiware Bazar, Maharashtra.

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 Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Process of planning for village development

Present condition of the village

Process of transformation of the village

Features of Change Process

Leadership, Hurdles and Issues

conclusion

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Abstract

In this seminar paper instance of a village development in India has been

described briefly which have earned a reputation for themselves as model
village with multi-faceted development. Hiware Bazar, situated in the
Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra is India’s model village. The village with
the highest GDP in the country. The process of Self-governance was discussed
in the Indian Constitution where power of rural communities were decided by
states through elected panchayats for future economic and all round
development of the village. By involving people in participatory planning the
development is carried out by the elected representatives along with their
Panchayat staff. At various parts of the country in last 10 years number of
panchayats by involving the village people has progress further about the
planning for their villages which transformed their villages into prosperous,
well- endowed and democratic communities. I n c a s e o f Participatory
planning all village dwellers were involved along with dedicated leadership of
village leaders and village elders. Systematic implementation of projects and
voluntary involvement were implied. This seminar paper deals with a case
study of a village named Hiware Bazar situated in Maharashtra which were
among such village which have transformed a lot from water-scarcity, poor and
deserted villages and schools to economically energetic, environmentally stable
and socially cohesive communities. It has become the models for participatory
village governance and development planning. This village shown that with
united efforts and some key initiatives, all Panchayats across the country just by
involving and working together with their communities can also establish such
transformations intheir own villages in a few years.

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Introduction

In 1972 village Hiware Bazar was largely hit by drought and after that the
condition of the village getting downwards day by day as the wells were dried
and water scarcity took place. Situated in the rain shadow area of the Western
Ghats, the village receives erratic and uneven rainfall of less than 400 mm. This
resulted in the formation of uncultivated lands and there is hardly any source
of income. The consequences of this was depression, alcohol addiction that
results in low efficiency of workers, domestic violence, and migration.

During 1989-90, less than 12% of the cultivable land was under cultivation. The
wells of the village used to have water only during the rainy season. As there
was huge unemployment the village habituated in making, drinking and selling
country liquor. Every family of the village were suffering from these issues.
Problems boost up as there was no support or governance in the village.
Moreover the under-performing government officials were posted in the
Hiware Bazar Village.

Earlier there was a small school in the village with only two rooms and after 4th
grade the students had to travel 7 kms for their study. Due to lack of proper
sanitation and water, the health facilities were hardly available. Child mortality
was a regular phenomenon in this village. As a result, most of the families fled
to Pune, Mumbai and other nearby cities in search of new life. But at the end in
1989 one leader with his friends began to tackle the problems, along with his
village people, systematically and energetically.

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Their target is to make the village fertile, prosperous, happy, well-endowed and
beautiful village that everyone in India dreams of. One leader, working together
with all others in the village, changed it back to a vibrant, lush, and green with
well- supported community, and with all facilities and amenities.

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Process of planning for village development

The process of village development planning in Hiware Bazar involves

identifying the current problems in the village and finding out some ways to
solve them. It also involves identifying the future desired goals and systematic
ways to achieve them. In general the process of village planning must be
directed towards meeting the basic life needs of all the – safety and security of
persons and their possessions, housing, water, sanitation, electricity, roads,
transport and communication facilities, livelihoods, education and health
facilities. The process of village development and planning is based on the
successful processes of local selfgovernance, village planning and development
by a number of Panchayats across the country. A postgraduate son of a village
named Popatrao Pawar gave up his cricket career in Pune and came back in
Hiware Bazar in 1989 to create positive transformation in the village.

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 Implementation in Hiware Bazar.

1. Housing:-

Hiware Bazar is a well-known example of a village in India that has undergone

significant rural development and housing improvement. Under the leadership
of Popatrao Pawar, the village implemented various strategies for
improvement, such as watershed management, afforestation, and community
involvement.

2. WATER:-
Water improvement in Hiware Bazar played a crucial role in the village's
overall development. Here are some key aspects of water improvement in
Hiware Bazar:
✓ Watershed Management
✓ Recharge Wells
✓ Crop Rotation and Water-efficient Farming
✓ Water Harvesting Structures
✓ Regulated Water Usage

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3. Sanitation:-
Hiware Bazar is a village in Maharashtra, India, known for its successful
community-driven development model. Sanitization likely refers to
sanitation or hygiene practices in the village. While I don't have specific, up-
to-date information on the current status of sanitation in Hiware Bazar, it's
important to note that community involvement, government initiatives, and
NGOs often play key roles in improving sanitation and hygiene in rural areas
like Hiware Bazar. Efforts typically include building toilets, promoting safe
water practices, and educating the community about hygiene. For the latest
information, I recommend checking with local authorities or organizations
working in the area.

4. Electricity:-
As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, Hiware Bazar, a village
in Maharashtra, India, had made significant progress in improving access to
electricity. They have often been highlighted as a model for rural
electrification in India.

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 The village had implemented various measures to ensure reliable electricity
supply, including solar power installations and community initiatives.
However, the specifics might have evolved since then. I recommend
checking with local authorities or recent news sources for the most up-to-
date information on the state of electricity in Hiware Bazar in 2023.

5. Roads:-
As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, the condition of roads
in Hiware Bazar, a village in Maharashtra, India, could vary. Road
infrastructure in rural areas can be subject to ongoing maintenance and
improvement efforts by local authorities and government agencies.

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6. Education and Health:-

As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, Hiware Bazar, a village

in Maharashtra, India, had made commendable efforts to improve
education and healthcare services for its residents.

1. Education: The village had established schools and educational

programs to ensure access to quality education for its children. Community
participation and government initiatives often played a role in these efforts.
The exact status and progress in education might have evolved since then,
and you can check with local authorities or educational organizations for the
latest information.

2. Healthcare: Hiware Bazar also focused on healthcare services. They

had set up healthcare facilities and promoted health awareness among the
villagers. Like education, healthcare initiatives in the village might have
continued to evolve, so it's a good idea to consult local healthcare providers
or government health agencies for the current state of healthcare in the
village in 2023.

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Present condition of the village
In last 15 years the average income of the village has risen up to 20 times
from Rs 832 to Rs 24000. Each village residents earns almost double the
average income of the top ten percent of the rural population of India. The
villages has now the place of 54 millionaires. The number of wells has
increased to 217 from 97 as well as the irrigation land which has increased
from 120 ha to 300 ha. Farmers grow at least three crops in a year
sometimes four with a past experience of one unreliable crop a year
following the rules of crop rotation and abandoned the use of water-
intensive crops, and instead vegetables, pulses, flowers and fruit that use
less water were grown. Grass production has increased drastically from 100
metric tonnes to 1000 metric tonnes in just 4 years (2000-2004) due to the
ban on open grazing. The villagers started focusing on cattle farming, results
in an increase in milk production which further produces large revenue.
Back in the mid-90s, about 150 litres of milk were produced per day, and
today milk production has increased to 4000 litres per day. In 1992 there
were 180 families in the village standing below poverty line and surprisingly
now there are no such families under B.P.L category according to the
sarpanch of the village Popatrao Pawar. The village has potential to tackle
any kind of challenge launched in their way by Nature or man-made. Slowly
and steadily the village documented growth and prosperity which results in
reverse migration.

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Process of transformation of the village
✓ The process of transformation is not an immediate effect but a step
by step effort of the whole community of the village and of course the
sarpanch Popatrao Pawar. The journey begins when Popatrao came
back to his village gave up his potential career in the city in 1989 and
started to teach people the bad effects of liquor thereby boosting up
the overall environment of the village. He tried and succeed with the
help of local youth to stop vice and conflict among the villagers, liquor
shops, gambling places.
✓ The first priority which the villagers set by themselves includes safe
drinking water, irrigation water, employment, education and health.
Water scarcity, the issue which was first addressed and a percolation
tank was constructed in 1972 under drought relief work under the
supervision of a wrestler who resides in the village. But in 1982 some
repair works of the tank has been done which was not fruitful as the
water demand was still high. In 1993 Popatrao Pawar decided to
resolve this issue from the grassroot level with the help of some
youthful friends after inspired by the work of Anna Hazare in
Ralegaon Siddhi.
✓ To tackle the chronic problem of water scarcity they works as
voluntary unpaid labour to build 4, 20,000 back to back contour
trenches on 70 ha forest area along the hill near to Hiware bazar with
afforestation to execute the watershed development and
afforestation programme.The works which were undertaken in the
programme are as follows:
a. Construction of deep Continuous Contour Trenches (CCT),
b. Construction of percolation tanks
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 c. Widening and deepening of drain beds
d. Construction of cement storage tanks
e. Plantation for soil and water conservation,
f. Adoption of Chloride Mass Balance method.
✓ All these works were implemented through Employment Guarantee
Scheme (EGS). It was the labourers from the village itself who built
the structures thereby improving their livelihood. Moreover the
adjacent wells were recharged and the irrigation land increased to 70
ha from 20 ha and as a result of that there was 50 % water surplus in
the village by 2006 and the water table in the village rose from 70-80
feet to 20 to 25 feet. The next step was the rejuvenation of the poor
functioning village school. The educational administration appointed
teachers at the village schools as a punishment posting which results
in little learning and poor functioning of the school. Together with the
youth, Popatrao managed to take a hard step by locking 9 the schools
for two months pressurising the administration to assign good
teachers and a positive outcome took place.
✓ Later in few years some strong steps were also taken by the youths of
the village regarding the extension of the school building, monitoring
of the schools. They donated their own lands and works as a
voluntary labourers to improve the standard of the education and
environment of the village school. In 1994, Adarsh Gram Yojona of the
Maharastra government included Hiware Bazar and under this
program about 52 earthen dams, 2 percolation tanks, 33 loose stone
bunds, nine check dams in a series on the downstream nallah were
build. All of these were achieved by the imposition of seven rules -
Donation of labours, Ban on defecation, Ground Water Management,

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Family Planning, Ban on Liquor, Ban on open Grazing, and Ban on
cutting trees.

7 Rules

Donation Ban on
of cutting
labours
trees

Ban on
open
Grazing

Ban on Family
Liquor Planning

Ground
Water
Manageme
nt

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Leadership, Hurdles and Issues
A true leader masters in this transformation process to be the long
standing sarpanch Mr Popatrao Pawar whose level of education and
leadership abilities matches with some social leaders like Mahatma
Gandhi, Jayprakash Narayan, Anna Hazare and others. He not only
gained all youths and friends support initially but his early career,
success and participatory skills resulted in a position of respect and
leadership in the society. Even the elders of the village acknowledged
him for his capabilities. Mr Pawar represented India in the
international conferences which include SAARC and gave his speech
at several university and colleges. He became member of some
committees involving developmental activities in India. He has been
the government advisor for the replication of water shed programme
in the state of Rajastan and Andhra Pradesh. Moreover number of
visitors from foreign countries spend time in this village and examined
the model of self-reliance and self-sustained. 11 However the intense
opposition from the residents and political interference were faced by
Pawar at the beginning. Re-afforestation and systematic wasteland
regeneration became the tool for Pawar’s success and a positive
relation has grown between the Forest department and the village.
However this relationship building took time and constant effort. The
entire 70ha forest land now is under the responsibility of the villagers.
With villager’s determination and effort made the forest department
in 1994, to bring the Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme to
the village. Application of strict rule produce visible results.

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Conclusion
When wealth increases in Hiware, Hiware visitors can experience
changes in the habitants' lifestyles. Hiware has adopted a one-child
policy per family. Not only are births down, but it has almost
completely eliminated the preference for male children. There are
also shifts in consumption habits, in addition to increasing literacy
and health. While nearly all the farmers in Hiware carry their milk by
bicycle to the dairy, a few are now coming by motorcycle. The first
cars reached the village, which would soon be followed by more. This
slow but steady transformation of this small village's metabolism is
representative of a change that will soon cover much of rural India.

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