Sustainability Through Microfinance Among the Small Farmers of Kotdwar Bhabhar Region in Uttarakhand

Abstract

Microfinance is provided in the form of loans, and periodic remittances to small business holders and entrepreneurs in the poor and needy section of the society. Microfinance provides green and sustainable remedies in alleviation of poverty when granted to the right section of society. This study is based on primary data collected from the small farmers who are microfinance beneficiaries in the “Kotdwar Bhabhar” region of Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. The coarse alluvial soil zone beneath the Shivalik hills is known as “Bhabhar”. It is a very fragile ecosystem where the ground water is deep, yet the land is very fertile. For analysis, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (SPSS) is used. To find out the relationship between the major variables, chi-square test is used. This paper proves that access to microfinance can improve the quality of lives of small farmers in the above said region and promote sustainable and green development by not disturbing the fragile ecology of the region.