THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Team Herald
SATTARI: Sandhya Mauxikar and her family are living in constant fear as the roots of a banyan tree are spreading into what’s left of their house. The family which lives in Mauxi, Sattari, is now confined to a small space in their own home.
The roots of a banyan tree located next to her house, have overgrown and damaged part of their house and also restricted their movement to only two rooms.
“The tree has been here ever since I got married and moved here, I have no idea how old it is, but it was much smaller then but now it as over grown,” said Mauxikar
For 5 years now, Mauxikara daily wage workers and sole breadwinner of the family is struggling to make ends meet. The family’s home which once ran a bakery business has been shut because of this banyan tree.
“The roots started creeping inside from the roof of our bakery and completely damaged our livelihood, forcing us to shut down our bakery and into unemployment,” said Mauxikar.
The overgrown roots have led her neighbours to move away and build new homes, while Mauxikar and her family still remained entangled within the roots of the banyan tree.
Mauxikar has requested the government to pay heed to her situation or help her children avail jobs in order to rebuild her home elsewhere.
“Nobody has asked us about our situation not even panch members who pass by our house. With great difficulty we managed to educate our children, my three sons are educated and unemployed and so is my husband. I need help to rebuild our home,” she said adding that if her children mange to get a job, then availing a loan to build a home will be easier.
Mauxikar said the threat of the house collapsing constantly looms over her. “Our house could break any moment we can’t tell when and how we are scared that our house will collapse,” said Mauxikar.
