Despite earlier progress in improving the gender ratio, Haryana is once again grappling with a sharp decline in the number of girls born. A recent state-wide survey has identified 481 villages—about 7% of Haryana’s 6,842 villages—where the sex ratio at birth has consistently remained below 700 girls per 1,000 boys over the last five years.
The worst-affected districts are Ambala (54 villages), Yamunanagar (53), and Panchkula (38) in the north, and Bhiwani (46) and Mahendergarh (42) in the southwest. Common to these regions is their proximity to state borders with Punjab, Himachal Pradesh in north, and Rajasthan in south, which authorities believe has enabled easy access to illegal gender-selection clinics operating across state lines.
“This cross-border access has made it alarmingly easy for families to bypass surveillance and opt for illegal terminations. Without coordinated inter-state action and stricter enforcement, the sex ratio crisis in Haryana will persist,” said a senior health official.
According to Dr. Virender Yadav, Director of Health Services and STF Coordinator, has stated that reports received from MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) centers are being analyzed. In response, the government has launched an aggressive crackdown:
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384 MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) centers have had their licenses canceled, and 30 more have been issued notices for violating the MTP Act.
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Strict monitoring is being conducted at centers where abortions of pregnant women with two daughters.
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ASHA workers will now be linked more closely with pregnant women as companions under the NHM Haryana, and will receive Rs 1,000 incentives for each successful girl-child delivery.
Additionally, the Women and Child Development Department organized 1,500 ‘Kuan Pujan’ ceremonies (well-worshipping) between April 18 and 29 to celebrate the birth of girls, aiming to shift public perception and reinforce the value of the girl child.