Amid 'Beti Bachao' programme being continuously promoted by the government, a report revealed none of the 216 children born over three months across 132 villages in Uttarkashi district in Uttarakhand were girls. The imbalance has raised the possibility of sex-selective abortions or the killing of girl children that may be occurring in these villages. The area’s recent female birth rate – collected by the local health department – was “suspicious and has highlighted female foeticide”, said Uttarkashi’s district magistrate Ashish Chauhan.
These 132 villages have been marked part of a “red zone”, which means local data will be scrutinised more closely and health workers have been asked to be vigilant. “We will monitor the data and activities of all these villages for next six months and will take strict action against ASHA workers if the situation does not improve. Moreover, we will also take legal action against the family who will be found guilty,” said Chauhan.
Any parents found to have carried out female foeticide will face legal action, Mr Chauhan commented. Legislative assembly member Gopal Rawat said: “It is shocking to have a zero girl child birth rate in 132 village of the district, as we have rarely heard of seen any incident of female foeticide in the hills.
“I have directed the health department to find out the real cause of such alarming figures and to take serious action to resolve it.” He added authorities would also launch “a massive awareness campaign” in the hope of reversing the trend.
According to the last census in 2011, Uttarakhand’s sex ratio is at 963 females per 1,000 males, while Uttarkashi district is at 958 females. This makes the district ninth in the state, in terms of sex ratio.
Last year an Indian government report found about 63 million women were statistically "missing" from the country's population due to a preference for male children. "Issues relating to son preference are a matter for Indian society as a whole to reflect upon," the report said.
