70 Rohtak villages record gender ratio of less than 800

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, May 19

The district has recorded sex ratio at birth (SRB) of less than 800 in 70 villages in the first quarter (from January 1 to March 31) of the year. The number of villages is over 65 per cent higher than the previous year — as many as 800 females were born against 1,000 males in 42 villages of the district in 2022.

Rohtak is among the districts in the state where a considerable decline in the SRB has been witnessed in the first quarter as compared to the previous year. The district registered a drop of 36 points, with the SRB of 898, and stood at 18th place. Its SRB was 934 in 2022.

“Polangi, Makrauli Khurd, Madina, Kakrana, Shimli, Kutana, Chamaria, Bhainsru Khurd, Ritoli, Kasreti, Hasangarh, Dattaur, Bhainsaru Kala, Chuliyana, Bhali and Khairati are on the list of villages with the SRB less than 800. Taking a serious note of the situation, the health authorities have intensified monitoring and tracking of pregnant women to prevent female foeticide,” sources said.

Rohtak was among seven districts whose Deputy Commissioners were asked by the Chief Minister’s Officer recently to make coordinated efforts to curb foeticide. It also expressed displeasure over the non-execution of even a single PNDT raid by the district in the past year.

“Huge pendency of registering the births on the CRS portal at the PGIMS, Rohtak, is one of the major reasons behind the decline in the SRB in the district in the first quarter. Since the PGIMS authorities have now started registering the births on the CRS portal, the SRB will be much higher than the current figure in the next quarter,” claimed Dr Anil Birla, Civil Surgeon, Rohtak.

He maintained teams had been sent to these villages to make people aware about the ill effects of gender imbalance on the next generation. Monitoring and tracking systems had been strengthened to ensure the registration of every pregnant woman. Strategies were also being chalked out to conduct PNDT raids, he added.