The village of Dehri Amdana in Madhya Pradesh was cut-off from the rest of the world for 40 years. The only road leading to the village was a narrow muddy path which was highly inaccessible, making it hard for the villagers to travel for their basic necessities and livelihood. Children would injure themselves while going to school, doctors refused to come to check on patients and farmers would have to negotiate bad roads to go to the markets.
The village also happens to be the home of Video Volunteers community correspondent Mohanlal. Tired of years of unaccountability and inaccessibility, he decided to document the sorry state of the road on camera. "I knew that collective community action was the only way this 40-year-old problem be solved," said Mohanlal. With the video as an evidence, he mobilised his community to ask for an accessible road. The community collectively wrote an application for a sturdy, proper road to the District Office. Mohanlal also screened the video to the officers present there, which prompted them to take corrective actions.
As a result, for the first time in 40 years, the villagers of Dehri Amdana, MP were able to travel on proper roads. It was all possible because the community held the local administration accountable for its work.
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