Surat, Oct. 19 -- A tribal hamlet in Gujarat's Surat district that turned around decades of environmental devastation through sheer community resolve is now set to become the training ground for thousands of forest conservators across the state.

Balethi, situated in Mandvi taluka, has received government approval to develop a dedicated 'Centre of Excellence' by restoring an old local school building.

According to the release, the initiative, sanctioned under the direction of Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia and Minister of State Pravin Mali, aims to formalise and scale the village's indigenous, highly successful model of Joint Forest Management (JFM).

Under the project, nearly 7,500 members drawn from 2,500 of Gujarat's ...