Osmanabad strives to improve sex ratio

To shed its tag as a district with an unhealthy sex ratio, the Osmanabad district administration is sensitising village elders and families to prevent sex determination tests and female foeticide. All pregnant women in the district, located in Marathwada, will be monitored and abortions will be audited to check if they were the result of medical abnormalities or female foeticide.

"Osmanabad is one of the 10 districts in Maharashtra with the most adverse sex ratios," noted Dr Prashant Narnavare, district collector, Osmanabad.

After analysing the sex ratio in the zero- to one-year age cohort in the area of each primary health centre (PHC), the administration realised that around 350 villages, or around 45% of 781 villages, in the district had a "very adverse" ratio under 900.

The sarpanch, gram sewak, anganwadi workers and village-level health functionaries like accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and auxilliary nurse midwives (ANM) in these "red category" villages will be sensitised and involved in counselling couples, including those with a preference for male children. This will help prevent gender determination and female foeticide and ensure stringent implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.

The web-enabled mother and child tracking system (MCTS) to monitor and deliver services to pregnant women and children will also be used for monitoring.

"All pregnant women will be tracked. At present, they do not register even if ANMs go to them. These unnoticed cases go for medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) to neighbouring states and other regions... this will increase institutional deliveries and help track almost 100% cases," said Narnavare, adding that they were also tracking sonography and MTP centres in Osmanabad.

"We will audit (MTP) cases and see if medical anomalies are responsible (or if it is a case of female foeticide)," said Narnavare.

"Unless mindsets change, this problem will not stop. Sensitisation is a must for change," noted advocate Uma Gangne, legal advisor, PCPNDT cell.

It was compulsory for women, especially those in the second trimester of pregnancy, to register under the MCTS to enable tracking of every woman and child. Task forces will be formed at the village, taluka and district level to bring any violations to the notice of the authorities, Gangne added.

This year, the campaign will be implemented in villages under the red category, with plans to extend it elsewhere next year.

Gangne noted that many couples opting for sex determination and foeticide headed to areas in Karnataka, like Bidar. She added that in Osmanabad, since 2011, they had taken action against 10 sonography centres, of which seven cases had been decided, including six convictions and one discharge, and three were pending.

Osmanabad has 66 sonography centres and 57 maternity homes.

"These will be examined on a regular basis by the appropriate authority and action will be taken for any breach," Gangne said.

"We will also ensure that there are no human rights violations and the right of women to MTP is not affected in cases where there are medical anomalies," Gangane said, adding that MTP by unqualified medical practitioners and quacks will be curbed.

Narnavare said they will ensure that pregnant women undergo a health examination at least every fortnight or once a month and interactions between the women and their families will be conducted with doctors.

The PCPNDT Act aims at preventing the misuse of pre-natal sex determination techniques for sex determination leading to female foeticide, which arises due to regressive social practices such as dowry and a preference for male children.

Maharashtra's general sex ratio declined from 934 in 1991 to 922 in 2001, but marginally rose to 929 in 2011. In contrast, India's sex ratio has increased from 927 in 1991 to 933 in 2011 and 940 in 2011. The state's child sex ratio (ratio of girls to boys between zero to six years) fell from 946 in 1991 to 913 in 2001 and 883 in 2011, as against 914 in 2011, 927 in 2001 and 946 in 1991 for India.

Osmanabad has a sex ratio of 867 according to the 2011 Census, down from 947 in 1991 and 894 in 2001.

An analysis of births in 2015-16 in the 781 villages in Osmanabad by the district administration has revealed that while Omerga, Osmanabad and Lohara talukas have healthy sex ratios, the numbers are adverse for Paranda, Bhoom, Kalamb, Tuljapur and Washi.