From Barren to Bamboo Gold: How a Tribal Hamlet in Maharashtra Reclaimed Its Forest and Future

With 300 residents, mostly Gond tribals, Pachgaon has turned 1,006 hectares of forest into a thriving bamboo business, generating over ?3.4 crore in profits in a decade. This success stems from reclaiming traditional forest land under the Forest Rights Act (2006) and the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (1996).

"Getting forest rights in 2012 felt like a festival," says villager Vinod Ramswaroop Tekam. Celebrated annually as Van Haq Divas on June 25, it marked the return of migrants, with bamboo becoming their livelihood.

The journey was tough, requiring years of documentation and grassroots efforts led by social worker Vijay Dethe. After three years, Pachgaon’s Gram Sabha gained land ownership.

Since then, villagers have sold thousands of bamboo bundles, built an egalitarian business model, and created infrastructure for steady local jobs. Women workers earn equal pay, doubling their previous migrant labor wages.

"If we don’t create jobs, people migrate," says village leader Gajanan Themke. "Now, our youth attend college, houses are rebuilt, and the village has a future."

Pachgaon is investing in a warehouse, a food unit for jamun and tendu leaves, and seeking another 900 hectares of forest land.

"Our next generation will stay here," Themke says. "The forest business ensures their future."