An non government organization working closely with Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare claimed Sunday that nearly 5.7 million illegal abortions take palce in country every year.

Sudha Tiwari, a social worker with NGO, told IANS, "Every years 6.7 million abortions take place in India but the sad part is that 5.7 million are illegal. The place and technique used in most of the illegal cases are unsafe and unhygienic.

"The result is obvious- India has a steep maternal mortality rate of 498 per 100,000 women, which is very high as compared to other countries, Tiwari told news agency."

The sex ratio in India has been declining for several decades. According to the 2001 census, the adult sex ratio is 933 women per 1,000 males.