Nabarangpur: In a significant step towards curbing child marriage, the district administration in Nabarangpur has successfully prevented nine such incidents across several blocks in the district. The information was shared by District Collector Maheshwar Swain, who emphasized the administration’s commitment to eliminating the social menace.
According to officials, preparations for the marriages were already underway in different police station areas, with food arrangements for wedding feasts reportedly completed. However, timely intervention by the administration and allied agencies helped stop the ceremonies before they could take place.
District Social Welfare Officer Draupadi Kanhar said the child marriages were prevented through coordinated efforts involving voluntary organisations such as Shobha, Childline, the Block Development Officers (BDOs), Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs), and the local police.
The cases were reported from five blocks in the district. Two cases were stopped in Nandahandi block, one in Papadahandi, two in Kosagumuda, three in Chandahandi, and two in Umerkote block. In all these cases, either one or both of the individuals involved were minors.
Following the intervention, four boys and five girls from the district were produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). One girl was subsequently placed in a short-stay home for her protection and counselling. Officials also noted that in Umerkote, both the boy and the girl involved in the marriage were minors, while in Chandahandi some cases involved adult girls being married to underage boys.
Authorities have also expressed concern about the lack of cooperation from some local stakeholders in preventing child marriages. According to the District Social Welfare Officer, local representatives such as sarpanches, samiti members, ward members, priests, pastors, and individuals assisting with wedding arrangements have not been providing the expected support in certain cases. There are also reports that fake age certificates are sometimes being prepared to facilitate such marriages.
Nabarangpur currently ranks highest in Odisha in terms of child marriage cases, making the issue a major concern for the administration. District Collector Swain has appealed to residents to help eradicate the practice and has directed officials to initiate legal action wherever necessary.
He said that preventing nine child marriages is an encouraging development and credited the coordinated efforts of the BDOs, police, district social welfare department, voluntary organisations, and responsible citizens. The district administration has vowed to intensify its campaign in the coming days to completely eliminate child marriage from the region.
