Mayank Chaturvedi belongs to 2017 batch of Chhattisgarh cadre and is currently posted as collector of Dantewada district Chhattisgarh, one of the most challenging districts in the state to administrate due to its Naxal infestation. 

Regarding his vision for Dantewada, Mayank’s dream project’s focuses on three main aspects of the district with agriculture, education and water conservation at the forefront.

Dantewada, being a lush green district with abundant agricultural opportunities, is being utilized to its full potential under Mayank’s leadership. He is working towards obtaining organic agriculture certification for the district. "We have already achieved certification for about 40-45% of the district, and the rest is still in progress. The farming practices here are not only organic but are also closely linked to the cultural traditions of the local tribal communities," he explained.

"Currently, Dantewada does not use chemical fertilizers at all, whether for cereals, horticulture, plants, vegetables, or fruits. The certification process takes around 2.5 to 3 years. We have certified 50% of the gram panchayats so far, and the remaining 50% will likely take a couple more years, but we are confident it will eventually happen. We are focusing on this effort and are already seeing very positive results."

However, alongside this progress Dantewada faces significant challenges in education with high dropout rate among the children and lack of culture of prioritising education and consistency. "The dropout rate is alarmingly high, and even those who remain enrolled often attend school irregularly, spending only three to four months in the classroom each year," Mayank said, pointing to the urgent need for consistent education.

To overcome this challenge an initiative by the name of Bal Mitra is started and is on the lines of Asha workers model who are community health workers. “we are collaborating with volunteers and interns who we call Bal Mitra, they are basically community education workers” Mayank further explained." In Gram panchayats where dropout rates are high, we have recruited one Bal Mitra per gram panchayat. These workers are generally unemployed youth, either graduates or those who have completed their 12th grade, and we are training them in partnership with an NGO."

Under the Bal Mitra initiative the focus is not just on education but also on non-conventional activities like sports and life skills.“Reducing dropout rates, reducing the number of out-of-school children, and making them aware of other issues related to education and extracurricular fields” Mayank adds. The program is already showing promising results after just six months.

With the quest for overall development water conservation is another key area of his focus. Dantewada is blessed with rivers, mountains, and heavy monsoon rainfall presenting both challenges and opportunities. "The conventional water conservation practices are insufficient," Mayank said, “We have created a GIS map of the district, and around 8,500 small and large structures are to be built in the next 7-8 months so that by the next monsoon, we are able to achieve a good amount of water retention". His efforts have even garnered appreciation from his seniors, highlighting the impact of his initiatives.