M A I N   N E W S

Karnal villagers show the way on gender ratio
But urban areas still show a marked preference for the male child
Bhanu P. Lohumi
Tribune news service

n The overall sex ratio in Karnal district, has declined from 864 in 2001 census to 852 now n The lowest ratio of 798 was registered at the Primary Health Centre, Sagga, in 2007 n The Community Health Centre at Nilokheri registered an all-time high of 1,329 female births per 1,000 males in 2009

Karnal, October 25
Notorious for the skewed gender ratio with 819 females against 1,000 males in the 0-6 age group, Haryana has some reason to cheer. Its villages in Karnal have shown a marked improvement in balancing the skewed gender ratio.

Surprisingly, rural areas have surpassed the urban areas with the female sex ratio rising to 887 in villages against 828 in urban towns.

The overall sex ratio in Karnal district, according to the latest statistics with the central registration system, has declined from 864 in the 2001 census to 852 now.

During 2007, the female sex ratio rose to 925 in rural areas while it was 838 in urban areas.

What was interesting was that the number of female births under the Jalmana, Uplana, Gharaunda, Indiri and Khukhni Primary Health Centres was 1,069, 1,140, 1,071, 1,061 and 1,110, respectively, per 1000 males.

The lowest ratio of 798 was registered at the Primary Health Centre at Sagga.

The trend reversed in 2008 with the female sex ratio declining to 869 in rural areas and 809 in urban areas. During the same period, the health centres at Barsat and Uplana recorded 1,015 and 113 female births, respectively, per 1000 male births while Barota had the lowest female sex ratio of 689.

In 2009, the Community Health Centre at Nilokheri set a record of sorts, registering an all-time high of 1,329 female births per 1,000 males while the Jundla and Salwan health centres registered 1,056 and 1,048 female births per 1,000 male births.

The Assandh Community Health Centre was at the bottom with 719 female births against 1000 males.

Interestingly, the urban areas never showed a healthy gender ratio.

In the Gharaunda municipal area, the highest female sex ratio stood at 883 in 2009. The Gharaunda MC registered a sex ratio of 883 in 2007, which dropped to 878 in 2008 and recovered to 904 in 2009. The Tarouri MC recorded the highest female sex ratio of 922 in its urban areas in 2008. It again slipped to 842 in 2009.

Asked about the reasons for the low female sex ratio in urban areas, Dr Vandana Bhatia, Civil Surgeon, Karnal, said: “People in urban areas are aware of the medical options available to thwart the birth of a female child”.

Despite strict government measures against female foeticide, the conviction of 14 persons, including doctors, sealing of 115 unregistered ultrasound machines, raids on ultrasound clinics, cancelling/suspension of the registration of 245 ultrasound centres and filing of 49 cases for violations under the PNDT Act-1994 up to March 2009, the people of Haryana continue to show preference for the male child.