This Gond Village Earns Rs 1 Crore a Year From Bamboo — And Shares Every Rupee Equally

5 May 2025

Tucked deep in the forests of Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, is a Gond tribal village where nature, tradition, and progress thrive together.

This is Mendha Lekha, a village of 500 people, where unity is more than a value. It’s a way of life.

Here, there are no hierarchies, no one “owns” the forest, the land belongs to the people and the people protect the land. From bamboo to timber, everything is shared.

In the early 2000s, Mendha Lekha became India’s first village to gain community forest rights. Today, they earn over Rs 1 crore each year by selling bamboo sustainably, sharing the profits equally.

Years ago, the villagers did something extraordinary: They gave up their private lands to the gram sabha for the greater good. A rare act of collective trust.

Their spirit of unity began in the 1970s, when they protested a dam project that threatened to displace them. That victory lit a spark.

They embraced Gramdan, the idea of voluntarily donating land to the community, paving the way for self-rule.

It took decades of fighting red tape. But in Feb 2024, their dream came true: Mendha Lekha was officially recognised as a gram panchayat. The power to govern is now truly in their hands.

Their journey hasn’t been easy. From navigating forest laws to resisting Maoist tensions nearby, the village has chosen peace over fear, progress over conflict. Their strongest shield? Unity.

Today, they’re building roads, schools, water systems, and dreams. Every child goes to school, every home has electricity. And the next goal? A bamboo-processing unit that could multiply incomes and jobs.

Mendha Lekha’s story is a powerful reminder that true prosperity lies in shared progress. In a world chasing individual gain, this village chose collective good and is thriving because of it.