Berhampur: The Gajapati district administration has foiled a child marriage in a village under Gumma block in the nick of time on Sunday night following an alert on the toll free Child Helpline (1098) in the second such incident within a week.
“After receiving the alert, we formed a team, including police personnel, to rush to the village and stop the marriage,” said Arun Kumar Tripathy, Gajapati district child protection officer (DCPO). The priest who came to solemnise the marriage returned on coming to know that the bride had not attained marriageable age of 18 years, before the team reached.
During verification, it was ascertained that the girl was aged 17.9 years. She was rescued and produced before the child welfare committee. She was handed over to her mother after counselling. “After much persuasion, her parents agreed not to marry her off before she attained 18 years. They even gave a written undertaking,” said the DCPO.
Legal action would be initiated against them, if they violate the undertaking, he warned.
Local anganwadi workers will keep vigil on her activities, while the officials and activists will visit her house frequently to counsel the parents and the girl, to create awareness among other adolescent girls in the village not to marry before 18. They will also encourage the girl to continue her studies.
It was the second instance of child marriage foiled by the district administration in the past week. On April 28, the administration had foiled a child marriage at a village in Goshani block. The parents of the girl, initially firm on their decision to solemnise the marriage, as they had already fixed the date and made all arrangements, were later convinced to defer the wedding after the team members narrated to them the legal consequences of child marriage.
“Despite the district being declared child marriage-free, we have continued to create public awareness about the ill-effects of child marriage through different forums. The govt has also laid down guidelines to be followed after a village or urban area is declared child marriage-free,” said Tripathy.
Gajapati was the second district in the state being declared child marriage-free on Feb 16, 2025, after Ganjam district declared child marriage-free on Jan 3, 2022.
