KALABURAGI: The severity of child marriages is high in Hyderabad-Karnataka region comprising of Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur and Koppal districts, as over 107 cases of prevention of child marriages and six cases of child marriages have been reported in the region in the last four months.
These are the official figures.
Hundreds of child marriages have taken place in Kalaburagi which have not come on the radar of the agencies working for the welfare of children. A minor girl who got married at Ganajalkhed village of Kalaburagi taluk on April 21, told Express that poverty was the main reason for her marriage. She said she has six sisters, and her parents wanted to get them married to reduce their responsibility. The 17-year-old girl said neither she nor her parents knew about the ill-effects of child marriage or about the Child Marriage Prohibition Act.
Vithal Chikani, a member of Child Welfare Committee of Kalaburagi said the Child Protection Unit or the agencies working for the welfare of children, can prevent child marriages only if they receive information on the same.