Nashik: Located in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, Modale village has become a national model for rural development, showcasing excellence in administration, environmental conservation, cleanliness, and e-governance.
The village situated in Igatpuri tehsil is considered a model not only in the state but also at the national level in terms of rural development.
Located about 30 km from Nashik city, this Gram Panchayat has made remarkable progress in various fields. With a geographical area of about 13.37 sq. km., the total population of Modale village is 1,683 as per the 2011 census.
Of these, 867 are males and 816 are females, with a sex ratio of 941, which is higher than the state average. The literacy rate of the village is 73.7 percent and the main occupation is agriculture. 653 people in the village are farmers and 129 are agricultural laborers. Modale Gram Panchayat has achieved remarkable performance through the implementation of various schemes.
The Gram Panchayat has secured the third position in the country as a “Clean and Green Village” by paying special attention to the cleanliness and green campaign. Taking note of this achievement, the government honoured it with the “Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Panchayatraj Sashaktikaran Puruskar” on December 11, 2024. In line with this award, the Gram Panchayat received a fund of Rs 50 lakh.
At the same time, the village won a prize of Rs 1.5 crore by securing the first position at the state level under the “Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan” which focuses on environment-friendly activities. The “R.R. Patil Smart Gram Puraskar” received on August 15, 2022, also highlights the sustainable and smart development vision of the village.
The Gram Panchayat has effectively built infrastructure such as roads, water management, bus facilities, tree plantation, e-service centres. The development model based on the five principles has been implemented through the "Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan", and the mainstay of this campaign is the balanced development of water, air, earth, fire and sky.
Modale Gram Panchayat has become a living example of good governance, environmental literacy, public participation and digital empowerment. Due to its working methods and award-winning success, this village has become an inspiration for other Gram Panchayats. It is no exaggeration to say that Modale has become an ideal model in rural India.
How did the development happen?
Speaking about the development work Shilpa Krishan Ahuja, Sarpanch of the village affirmed: "A pipeline was installed to bring water to the village from Mukna Lake, which is three kilometers away from the place. After which, the development of the village gained momentum."
"In the last two and a half years, the Gram Panchayat has planted about 30,000 mango trees in thirty acres of land," she added.