Journal of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences (JEAS). Iqbal and Mohsin, 2020. Volume 22(4): 16-24
Open Access – Research Article
Evaluating the Level of Household Poverty: A Case Study of Jhang, Pakistan
Zafar Iqbal 1,*, Muhammad Mohsin 2
1 Department of Geography, Government Postgraduate College, Jhang, Pakistan
2 Department of Geography, Government Sadiq Egerton College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Abstract: Poverty is a multidimensional striking issue that imparts serious impacts on human life and thoughts particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. The major objective of the present study was to identify the level of household poverty in district Jhang of Punjab province with the help of selected socioeconomic indicators (i.e. residents’ income, occupation, available facilities, drinking water etc.). The study was based on a field survey conducted in selected vicinities of Jhang city namely Pakkywala, Chundharwana, Daduana, surrounding abodes of general bus stand, Chak Janobi Jhang and Satellite town inhabited mainly by low-income people. The primary data collected through a pre-designed questionnaire from a group of 400 male participants using purposive sampling. The obtained data arranged, coded and analyzed in SPSS 17 software by employing descriptive statistics (frequency, percentages) and inferential statistics (chi-square). Results clear that the majority of the respondents in the study area were living in sub-standard and deprived livelihood. Although residents’ knowledge about poverty was sufficient yet most of them were lived in high poverty mainly because of the issues of unemployment and overpopulation. The major source of the drinking water was electric pumps they utilized wood as the main energy source. There was a high deficiency and inadequacy of management in the sewerage system and basic needs i.e. electricity, sanitation, roads, pathways etc. Similarly, health facilities were also scanty and costly as most of the residents were forced to get treatment from private hospitals and clinics. Educational facilities were also limited. Majority of the residents were low-income and engaged in minor works and were settled kacha (mud and straw made) houses. Keeping in view the miseries and harsh living of the poor, few suggestions were proposed in order to alleviate poverty in the area and make the environment livable by the provision of the missing facilities and structure (cheap housing, roads, sanitation, safe drinking water etc).
Keywords: Poverty, Household, Socioeconomic Indicators, Economic Condition, Jhang, Punjab.
*Corresponding author: Zafar Iqbal: zafargc79@gmail.com
Cite this article as:
Iqbal, Z. and M. Mohsin. 2020. Evaluating the level of household poverty: A case study of Jhang, Pakistan. Journal of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences. 22(4):16-24. [Abstract] [View Full-Text] [Citations]
Copyright © Iqbal and Mohsin et al., 2020. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium provided the original author and source are appropriately cited and credited.
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