Sharada Gaydhane, the twice-elected sarpanch of Bela Gram in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district, still remembers the concerns women would bring to her, often speaking about problems that had silently become part of daily life.

Their kitchens filled with smoke from chulhas (traditional wood-fired stove) that refused to burn clean. On the other hand, even after watering the fields, the crops no longer responded as they once did. Many spoke of frequent headaches, which they had begun to accept as routine.

As she listened, these concerns began to connect, and what first seemed like separate issues started to point to a larger shift unfolding around the village.

Instead of treating them as routine hardships, Gaydhane began working with the community to respond to what they were experiencing, focusing on changes that could fit into everyday life. 

From saplings to solar panels

One of the earliest shifts came through tree planting, which gradually moved beyond a one-time activity and became part of how the village marked its moments. Weddings and festivals turned into occasions where saplings were planted alongside celebrations, and over the years, this practice slowly reshaped the landscape.

As the green cover grew, other changes began to follow, with the village starting to rethink how energy was used within homes.

Smoky........

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