Imphal, August 27 2010: While detecting a sharp reduction in the sex-ratio of girl child with that of boys in the state particularly in Imphal West and Senapati Districts, state social welfare department has expressed apprehension of seeing no girl child in these two districts by 2020 .

In the last few decades sex-ratio of girl child had declined sharply as compared to boys in Manipur.

Social Welfare Department observed it was due to the increasing practice of prenatal sex determination and feoticide of girl child.

The department observed that the sex-ratio of girls in Manipur was 957 for every 1000 boys which is very low as compared to the national child sex-ratio.

Analysis of the district wise ratio, the condition is more serious in the two districts of Imphal West and Senapati than in the other remaining five districts.

In Imphal west district, the sex-ratio of girls which was 985 for every 1000 boys in 1991and this was reduced to 945 in 2001 .

If the process of gender discrimination is continue unabated without appropriate measures to curb the menace of female foeticide, by 2020, girl child may be out of sight in these two districts, the officials cautioned.

The ratios in other districts were found better even though the ratio remained poor.

The social welfare department expected further decline in the sex-ratio after the 2011 census operation observing a sharp increase in the prenatal sex determination.

Prenatal sex determination is not allowed under the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 which is in force in the state like in other parts of the country.

The law prevents sex determination tests and elimination of unwanted sex.

A total of 38 healthcare centres are registered under PNDT (RPM) Act in Manipur.

Among them seven are hospitals, two laboratories and 25 genetic clinics (ultra sound clinic).

Even though prenatal sex determination and female foeticide are reported in these registered bodies, there were no reports of actions taken by the government authorities to check the practice.

In India, the sex ratio stands at 933:1000 (i.e.for every 1000 male births, there are 933 female births), with the Union Territory of Daman and Diu dropping to a pathetic 710:1000 which showed an alarmingly decrease in the girls sex-ratio.

According to various analysis reports, female foeticide is the reason that "between 35 and 40 million girls and women are missing from the Indian population" .

For the country female infanticide is one of the issues that is gaining much prominence from all quarters these days.

A 2001 government census revealed that there were 795 women for every 1000 men in Punjab but the numbers were no better in the posh neighbourhoods of South Delhi.

Despite a law banning sex selective abortion is in force for a decade, as many as half a million female foetuses.are aborted each year in the country.

Hundreds of clinics in the lanes and by-lanes of the capital carry out sex determination tests illegally though a board outside the clinic reads "No Sex determination tests done here".

The problem is that most of the clinics carry out such tests undercover.

No one comes forward and complains in this regard.

So until and unless the doctors stop adhering to such practices, things are not going to change.

Even in the national capital, Delhi, the sex ratio began showing a sharp decline with the 1991 census figure of 827.The last two years have been the worst yet for the capital, with figures dropping steadily.

A healthy ratio, according to world standards, is considered to be 952 females for every 1,000 males.

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