Life under polythene shelter: Homeless elderly woman awaits PMAY house in Odisha’s Similipal

On the quiet roadside leading to Lulung in Similipal, beside a dense forest stretch in Laxmiposi village under Kochilaghati gram panchayat of Samakhunta block in Mayurbhanj district in Odisha, a fragile structure of patched polythene sheets flutters in the wind. For nearly 10 to 12 years, this makeshift shelter has been home to 70-year-old Raibari Bindhani.

Alone and frail, Raibari lives in constant uncertainty, exposed to harsh weather, wandering wildlife and the fear of what each night may bring.

Her husband, Chunu Bindhani, is no more. Since his death, Raibari has been surviving on a monthly government allowance of Rs 1,000 and five kilograms of rice. To collect the allowance, she walks nearly 1.5 kilometres to the Panchayat office in Kochilaghati.

A Home Lost, A Life on the Roadside

Recalling how she lost her home, Raibari’s voice trembled. “About 10 years ago, we lived where a poultry farm has now been built. The concrete house at the end of the road was ours. We had gone out for work when our parents died, and when we returned, the house had been sold. Now, where will I get a house? Where will I go?” she asked.

With no roof over her head, she erected a small shelter by the roadside. What began as a temporary arrangement slowly turned into her only refuge.

“Earlier, I used to cut wood and sell logs to buy food. Now I receive Rs 1,000 allowance and five kilograms of rice. It lasts for some time as I eat only three handfuls of cooked rice every day,” she said.

Raibari said she had once appealed for a house but received no help. Today, she lives by the forest edge, sharing her nights with fear.

“I see snakes and bears. Even elephants come and eat paddy from nearby fields,” she says, pointing toward the dark forest nearby.

Administration Promises Verification

After her plight came to light, the district administration assured action.

Additional District Magistrate of Mayurbhanj, Netrananda Mallick, said that the government provides rural housing to people living in extreme conditions under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

“The concerned BDO can verify her condition and allot a house if she is on the SECC list,” Mallick said.

He further added that as she is homeless, officials would be directed to arrange four decimals of land for her, following which housing assistance could be sanctioned under central or state schemes.

For Raibari, however, hope has come and gone before. As she sits under the rustling polythene sheets, her only wish remains simple, a small house to call her own before the end of her days.