E-Paper
Female sex ratio declining
THE DIFFERENCE of population data of past two censuses tells us, Lucknow?s population grew by 9,47,797. Male population grew by 4,80,785 and female by 4,66,832.
THE DIFFERENCE of population data of past two censuses tells us, Lucknow’s population grew by 9,47,797. Male population grew by 4,80,785 and female by 4,66,832.
This clearly puts females behind men in the population race by a count of 13,953. You can call it nature’s will but experts blame it all on medical expertise for selective abortions of female fetuses (female feticide). This when the population density went up from 1093 to 1456 per square kilometre in the last 10 years.
The decline in female sex ratio actually got noticed in the year 1991 when even the national figures touched a low of 927 females per 1000 men. Sex ratio of Lucknow in 1991 came down from 900-mark for the first time. It came down to 866 females against 1,000 men. A lot of hue and cry was made for the decrease and the end result is nothing but a simple 891 in 2001. If experts are to be believed the figure is yet to cross the 900 mark.
Survey by private agencies and social organizations say, want for male child is a major cause behind poor female count. More than 50 per cent of all abortions performed in the city are terminations due to the fetus being female. Killing of female feticide is practiced even as girls are viewed as an economic burden.
“The want for a male child leads parents to take steps like abortion. Once they get to know the sex of the child as female, all efforts are then done to get rid of it,” said Dr Geeta Wakhlu, medical officer for the Lucknow branch of Family Planning Association of India.
Sex determination and abortion, she said, was not restricted until MTP Act came in 1994 but it is not that abortions have stopped after the act became functional.
Not those with repute but the ultrasonologists located in lesser-known areas do reveal the child’s sex for some extra bucks and those gynaecologists interested in money actually do the termination part.
“Children are born but girls are less in number. There is no other evidence than female feticide to explain decrease in birth rate for girls in the state and the state capital as well,” said Dr Abhijit Das, an expert on population and gender issues.
The district even has a committee formed on the basis of ‘Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique Act’ to check sex determination of fetus but with sex ratio on an alarming state impact of the committee is evident.
