Gandhi once said that India’s survival is truly synonymous with the well-being of its villages.

Though his words are relevant to this day, in reality, they can be achieved only after battling numerous issues prevalent in rural areas.

From lack of adequate sanitation to gender-based discrimination and lack of livelihood opportunities, there is a long list of obstacles to tackle.

But there are several villages across the country that have been able to overcome these challenges to grow into model examples.

Here are 10 such idyllic villages that mirror India’s vision of prosperity with positive growth.

1. Jamola, Jammu & Kashmir From construction of concrete water harvesting tanks to reviving of water bodies, Jamola stood out in all its efforts to tackle water woes. Jamola’s initiatives have been exceptional, for which they won several awards and recognitions.

2. Khonoma, Nagaland India’s first green village, Khonoma’s community is focused on the conservation of its natural habitat. They have banned all hunting activities in the village. They also follow an eco-friendly version of farming called Jhum agriculture, which enriches the soil from within.

3.Mawlynnong, Meghalaya This quaint village was accorded the ‘Cleanest Village in Asia’ status in 2005 by Discover India magazine. Cleanliness is a way of life for the villagers, who keep their streets and village spick and span. Plastic is completely banned here and volunteers clean the streets at regular intervals

4. Lana Bhalta, Himachal Pradesh The village uses a unique method to transform plastic waste into bricks, bases, and interlocking tiles. This helped the community deal with their waste and aided in adopting sustainable construction practices.

5.Baghuvar, Madhya Pradesh This one-of-a-kind village has functioned without a sarpanch since independence. Baghuvar boasts an exemplary sanitation infrastructure, with almost every house having its own toilet, a common toilet complex, underground sewage lines, and biogas plants.

6. Piplantri, Rajasthan This village celebrates the birth of a girl child by planting 111 trees in her honour. As she grows, these trees are nurtured by the villagers to reach fruition. This symbolically rich gesture to overturn gender-based discrimination has been helping the villagers not only save girl children, but also to improve its green cover.

7. Punsari, Gujarat From Anganwadi centres with advanced infrastructure to air-conditioned schools, biometric machines, WiFi, clean roads, closed-circuit cameras, biogas plants, and water purifying plants, the village has it all. A model example of sustainable rural development, this village was transformed into what it is today by former sarpanch Himanshu Patel after he took charge in 2006.

8. Hiware Bazaar, Maharashtra As there was an acute water crisis with negligible annual rainfall in the region, the villagers decided to give up water-intensive crops and focused on horticulture and dairy farming.

Along with other water conservation efforts, they succeeded in raising the groundwater levels. Now with almost 300 open wells brimming with water, the village is home to 60 millionaires and the highest per capita income in the country.

9. Odanthurai, Tamil Nadu Odanthurai village is known for self-sustainability. Not only does this village generate its own electricity, but it also sells power to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. They also launched another project worth Rs 5 crore to install wind and solar energy farms. This project, among its several other initiatives, is helping over 8,000 residents.

10. Kumbalangi, Kerala Kumbalangi is a tiny island village in Kochi and is considered India’s first model tourism village. It was transformed into a model fishing and tourism location by the Kerala government. From homestays to rural experience-based travel guidance, the village boasts of a blend of rich aquatic life and cultural heritage.