AP to go for cradle, bell system to prevent infanticide

Aiming at prevention of infanticide, sale and abandonment of babies the Andhra Pradesh government is planning to implement the cradle and bell system in Krishna district as a pilot. A similar scheme was successfully implemented in the Nalgonda district of united Andhra Pradesh state where infanticide of the girl child was prevalent.

As per the plan, the Women Development and Child Welfare Department will arrange cradles at major bus and railway stations, government hospitals and religious places, where unwanted babies are generally abandoned by the parents. The decision to set up these cradles has come up after the officials found a spurt in such events where the infants were left in bushes, canals and dustbins. Officials hope that sale of infants can also be checked by placing cradles near Orphanages.

Krishna district Project Director K. Krishna Kumari told media that a proposal has been sent to the government for approval. “Recently we have found that infants were thrown into drainage and dust bins. The infants have a future with us,” she said. In all 19 infants were abandoned, 17 babies sold and a few infants were found dead in abandoned places in the district in the last few years.

The scheme also found the approval of State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) governing body member P Francis Thambi who says that the mothers will find it humane in leaving them in the cradle than leaving them to the mercy of nature. Krishna District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Ch. Vijay Kumar, informed that district Collector has approved setting up of cradles in Gudivada, Machilipatnam, Nuzvid and Vijayawada revenue divisions. “Simultaneously we will also step up awareness with the help of banners in all public places requesting the people not to kill infants,” Kumar said.

People relinquishing the child will have to press a buzzer provided next to the cradle so that the staff entrusted with the job will immediately take care of the baby. The government assures that there will be no cases booked on the persons that abandon the child at the cradle. In fact, the mothers are encouraged to surrender the children under the Integrated Child Protection scheme if they can’t find a cradle.