In the year 1997, CAPART, New Delhi (Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology- A special window of Ministry of Rural Development, GoI, for voluntary agencies) selected AFARM as ‘Service Voluntary Organization and Training Unit’ (SVO and TU) for its Watershed development Program for Maharashtra State, under which, AFARM promoted CAPART watershed Program in NGO Sector, provided field support to NGOs during planning & program execution, conducted basic training courses and specialized trainings for PIA leaders & WDT members implementing projects.

In the year 2002, Department of Rural Development and Water Conservation, GoM has recognized AFARM as Mother NGO for centrally aided Watershed Development Programs (i.e. DPAP, IWDP, and NWDPRA). The districts allocated to AFARM were Satara, Sangli & Kolhapur. As a Mother NGO, AFARM provided various capacity building services to both Government and Nongovernment project-implementing agencies (PIAs). These services mainly included training of various stakeholders such as PIAs, WDTs, Watershed Committees, User Groups, SHGs, and Support to PIAs for Community organization, Community institution building & field support during implementation of watershed development works.