Bhubaneswar, Feb. 14 -- 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 t...