One man’s determination and dedication are enough to transform a village ravaged by drought and poverty into a rich one that houses more than 50 millionaires. The story is about a village named Hiware Bazaar which is situated in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. Decades ago, the village repeatedly suffered drought conditions and people were staring at acute poverty.
The complete turnaround of this village happened due to one person - Popatrao Baguji Pawar. He contested the Panchayat elections in 1989 and won unopposed. His win brought about an impressive development in the village which was nothing short of a miracle.
First of all, he closed down all the liquor retail outlets. Children, being the foundation of a nation, he upgraded all the schools so that kids could get quality education. The water scarcity problem loomed large over the village and to address this issue, he banned tube wells so that groundwater is not exploited. Farmers were also advised to stop cultivating water-gobbling crops like sugarcane and banana.
With such an able leader, the villagers implemented the drip irrigation system to conserve water and soil. Popatrao Ji banned deforestation and arranged for the plantation of more than 10 lakh trees. This enriched the soil which in turn increased food production. 
Today, many people who had migrated from Hiware Bazaar to other cities have returned and are leading a comfortable life. At present, there are only three families are below the poverty line. More than 50 families are millionaires and it may be hard to believe that they are all farmers!