Late Father Hermann Bacher is regarded as the ‘Father of Community-led Watershed Development in India.’ Originally a teacher from Switzerland, he made India his home early in life. He initiated the Indo-German Watershed Development Programme and his efforts brought about the emergence of the now widely used participatory model of watershed development. Among his various outstanding contributions is the creation of a cadre of grassroots professionals with a common vision and a passion for promoting community-led watershed development at the village level. After 60 years of service in Maharashtra, dedicated to the upliftment of the poor, the landless and rural women, Fr. Bacher returned to his hometown in Switzerland, where he breathed his last on 14th September 2021. In recognition of his outstanding efforts, Fr. Bacher was given Germany’s highest civilian award, the Federal Cross of the Order of Merit in 1994 at a ceremony in the watershed village of Mendhwan in Sangamner. This was followed by the Krishi Bhushan, at the hands of the Governor of Maharashtra, in the same year. Several honors followed and in 2010, the Government of Maharashtra conferred upon him and WOTR its highest Award in agriculture, “The Dr. Punjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Ratna”.