Child marriages declining in Asifabad, say officials

For instance, 15 marriages were prevented in the district in 2024 as against 18 child marriages that were prevented in 2023.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: In a welcoming sign, child marriages are said to be declining in the district.

For instance, 15 marriages were prevented in the district in 2024 as against 18 child marriages that were prevented in 2023. In 2022, 23 child marriages. While 24 child marriages were prevented in 2021, 29 and 38 child marriages were averted in 2020 and 2019, respectively, according to information provided by officials of the Child Protection department.

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District Child Protection Officer Boorla Mahesh said formation of village and mandal-level child protection committees, monthly meetings and awareness being created among students in educational institutions played a vital role in reducing the child marriages in the district. A toll-free number 1908 was helping members of the committees to check menace, he stated.

As many as 334 village-level child protection committees, 15 mandal child protection committees were formed to eradicate child marriages. While the village committee has 11 members including the Sarpanch, an Anganwadi teacher, local school teachers, Panchayat secretary, a police official, two adolescent girls, mandal level committees contain 11 members such as mandal revenue officers, Mandal Parishad chairman and many others.

Somewhere between 150 and 200 awareness programmes were being conducted at government-run schools, private recognized schools and colleges per annum. Staffers of the Child Protection department raise awareness among the students over consequences of child marriages, how to report marriages, rights of girls, mechanism to approach in case of child marriages.

Either members of the committees or locals or victims alert staffers of the department about the child marriages by contacting them through 1908. Escorted by local police, staffers of Child Line, ICDS and relevant departments, the staffers rush to the spot and rescue the girl by providing counselling to parents of both the bride and groom. They then shift the girl to Sakhi One Stop Centres.

The officials disclosed that certain backward and scheduled communities were still showing interest to perform the marriage of their minor daughters. The parents fear that their daughters would not get married if they get older. If a family has a greater number of girls, parents tend to go for early marriages to reduce financial burden. Lack of awareness and education among girls are also said to be reasons for the menace.

Child marriages prevented in 2025: 6

2024: 15

2023: 18

2022: 23

2021: 24

2020: 29

2019: 38

Recent instances of child marriages getting foiled

• Oficials of the Child Protection department in association with police and the women development and child welfare department prevented the marriage of a minor girl by counselling her parents at Esapur village in Kerameri mandal on March 27
• Officials of the Child Protection department in association with police and the women development and child welfare department foiled the marriage of a minor girl by counselling her parents at Chintaguda village in Kagaznagar mandal on March 23
• Officials of the Child Protection department in association with police and the women development and child welfare department stopped the marriage of a minor girl by counselling her parents at Battupalli village in Kagaznagar mandal on February 23.
• Officials of the Child Protection department in association with police and the women development and child welfare department aborted an engagement of a minor girl by raising awareness of her parents at Vankulam village in Rebbena mandal on February 3