67 villages in Panipat under scrutiny for skewed sex ratio

The Health Department has flagged 67 out of 190 villages in Panipat district for their skewed Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB), placing them in the red zone category. The district, which once led the state in SRB improvement under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign, now ranks 17th with an SRB of 900 in 2024.

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Editorial: Sustaining hope

Sex ratio at birth trends

2015: 892 girls per 1,000 boys

2017: 945

2023: 924

2024: 900

Key initiatives taken

Strict monitoring: Pregnant women’s data to be uploaded on the portal from the first trimester

No ultrasound without registration: Mandatory pre-upload on the Health Department portal

Targeted raids: Crackdown on illegal sex determination and MTPs

Focused analysis: PHC-wise scrutiny of villages with low SRB

Community awareness: Campaigns to promote gender equality and combat societal bias

Launched from Panipat in January 2015 by the Prime Minister, the BBBP campaign marked its 10th anniversary amid concerns over declining SRB figures. "In 2015, Panipat’s SRB was 892 girls per 1,000 boys. Following the launch of BBBP, it climbed to a record 945 in 2017. However, it has declined over the years, reaching 900 in 2024," said Civil Surgeon Dr Jayant Ahuja.

The Health Department has identified specific villages where the SRB has fallen below 850. Some of these villages include PHC Mandi with SRB as low as 478, PHC Bapoli (eight villages), PHC Chulkana (six villages) and PHC Patti Kalyana (seven villages).

Dr Ahuja said, “Teams are analysing data from these villages to understand the causes. All health workers have been instructed to monitor pregnant women and maintain detailed records from the first trimester. This data must be uploaded on the Health Department portal before any ultrasound is conducted.”

The department is ramping up enforcement, including increasing raids on illegal practices such as sex determination and medical terminations of pregnancy (MTPs).

"Raids on illegal ultrasound centres will be intensified and strict action will be taken against offenders," Dr Ahuja added.