Sex ratio dips sharply in Karnal in five months

KARNAL: While Haryana has improved its sex ratio at birth (SRB) ranking, Karnal district has shown a steep decline. It has registered a sharp fall in SRB — 901, till May, from 934 in 2018. Incidentally, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar represents Karnal constituency in the state assembly.
The ratio of birth in Haryana in general has gone up to 929 girls per 1,000 boys in 2019, till March, while it was 924:1,000 in 2018.
According to data, the birth registration figures collected by the health department in Karnal revealed that the sex ratio in 2011 was 849 which went down, though marginally, to 847 in 2012. The SRB considerably increased from 2015 onwards — 897 in 2015, 909 in 2016, 922 in 2017 and 934 in 2018. Incidentally, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ was launched in 2015.
But the significant decline in gender ratio this year has taken everyone by surprise. Suddenly, the sex ratio declined from 934 to 901 (33 points).
Meanwhile, the health department claimed that since the inception of the Pre-Conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, there has been as many as seven suspensions and three cancellations of ultrasound centres. Nearly 53 FIRs/complaints were registered under PC-PNDT Act and MTP Act, of which five and three cases are convicted under the acts, respectively. Karnal health department official conducted four raids during this year.
Dr Rajendra Singh, deputy CMO, and Nodal officer, PCPNDT Act, Karnal, said the department is taking every step to improve the sex ratio at birth by ensuring strict implementation of laws. “We are raiding violators and the situation will be improved soon,” he assured.
Karnal CMO Dr Ramesh Kumar said, “We have directed all SMOs to identify villages where SRB is below 500 males so that we can find out the reason behind the decline of sex ratio. We will increase the raid and efforts are being made to educate residents and we are keeping a check on violators of the PC-PNDT Act.”