Bhubaneswar: Despite significant efforts to eradicate the practice, child marriages continue to be a major issue in the state. Government data reveals that the state has recorded a staggering 8,159 instances of child marriages over the past six years.
In a written response to the Assembly, Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida highlighted that Nabarangpur district has the highest number of child marriage cases, with 1,347 instances. Ganjam district follows closely with 966 cases, while Koraput district accounts for 636 instances.
The other districts that have featured prominently in the list include Mayurbhanj (594), Rayagada (408), Balasore (361), Keonjhar (328), Nayagarh (308), Kandhamal (308) and Cuttack (154). Significantly, Khurdha, of which capital city Bhubaneswar is a part, also has had over a hundred child marriages since 2019. The district records 110 child marriages in the last six years.
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These figures underscore the severity of the problem in these regions. In addition to child marriages, the state is also grappling with the issue of child labour. Over the same period, authorities have rescued 328 children who were working as labourers.
PNN
