To fight female foeticide, Maharashtra's State Health and Family Welfare Department has launched a toll-free number, 104. This service is available round the clock for the public to report female foeticide.
The launch of this project comes in response to the alarming decline in the sex ratio after the pandemic. The ratio fell from 919 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2019 to 904 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2022.
Despite previous efforts to deal with this issue, the desired impact was not achieved. Earlier, the government launched incentives under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act and the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.
The new toll-free line, 104, aims to provide a safe and private platform for people to report sensitive issues regarding PCPNDT and MTP. In a report by Indian Express, the assistant director of the family welfare department, Dr. Rajshree Dhawale, talked about the state's efforts to prevent female foeticide.
The new toll-free number is an addition to the existing PCPNDT number, 18002334475. This number will continue to operate.
As of February 2024, the helpline has received 1,069 complaints, with 1,064 of them already addressed by Pune's State Family Welfare Office. This shows the effectiveness of the helpline in addressing the issue of female foeticide.
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