Odisha Experiences 3 Youngster Marriages Every day, THIS District Tops Record | India Information
Odisha has reported at the least three such instances day-after-day over the past six years, regardless of a number of initiatives taken by the administration, in response to authorities knowledge.
Activists working on this discipline attribute tribal follow, dowry, migration of labourer households and oldsters’ worry that daughters might elope to this startling determine.
The info reveals that 8,159 baby marriages have taken place throughout Odisha from 2019 to February 2025. Of them, 1,347 instances have been reported from Nabarangpur, the very best amongst all 30 districts of Odisha throughout that interval.
Whereas Ganjam district is within the second spot with 966 instances, Koraput comes subsequent with 636. It was adopted by Mayurbhanj (594), Rayagada (408), Balasore (361), Keonjhar (328), Kandhamal (308) and Nayagarh (308).
The bottom of 57 such situations have been present in Jharsuguda district in these six years.
Social activist Namrata Chadha stated, “Youngster marriage can’t be absolutely stopped in a single day. We’ve got to create such an atmosphere and society for the lady kids and their mother and father in order that they won’t take such steps.”
Marrying off underage kids is a standard follow of the tribals, particularly for the Significantly Weak Tribal Teams, she stated.
Chadha stated mother and father who normally migrate to different locations for livelihood additionally conduct marriage of their women earlier than authorized age hoping to safe their future and in addition for her security as they worry the lady might elope with somebody bringing disgrace to the household.
The social activist stated dowry additionally drives such marriages, because the older the bride, the upper the demand.
“The menace might come to an finish if we’re in a position to present them correct schooling or talent growth coaching in order that they change into self-employed… in order that they don’t assume marriage is the one step left for a lady’s future,” Chadha stated.
To cease baby marriages, the Odisha authorities has been organising consciousness campaigns at panchayat, block and Anganwadi ranges each three months, an official stated.
The kid growth mission officer, panchayat govt officer, and wardens/matrons of residential hostels have been designated as chief marriage prohibition officers.
Equally, the heads of all faculties and schools have been designated as chief marriage data officers, the official stated.
Moreover, the federal government has been conducting conferences of state-level committees fashioned beneath the Prohibition of Youngster Marriage Act each six months.
Alongside underage marriage, the state additionally grapples with the problem of kid labour.
Over the identical six years, the authorities have rescued 328 kids working as labourers.
Whereas 85 of them have been saved in 2019-20, the figures have been 4 and 43 in 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively, the information revealed.
Equally, 107 baby labourers have been rescued from completely different elements of the state in 2022-23 and 44 the subsequent 12 months.
Throughout the present monetary 12 months as much as February 15, the authorities have rescued 45 baby labourers from completely different districts of Odisha.
To this point, 159 instances have been registered beneath the Youngster Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 towards those that have interaction kids in work. Moreover, a State Motion Plan for Elimination of Youngster Labour is being applied in coordination with 9 departments.
As per the motion plan, the rescue operation is being carried out with the assistance of different departments on the district degree. A coaching programme is being organised for cops and district labour officers for strict enforcement of the Youngster & Adolescent Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986.
The state authorities, in assist of different stakeholders, additionally conducts large consciousness campaigns to ban baby labour within the state, the official stated.
