Puttaparthi(Sri Satya Sai district): Child marriages are rampant in all the districts but the undivided Anantapur has the dubious distinction of leading AP State by registering 37.3 per cent, way back in 2019-20, according to National Family Household survey. It was 29 per cent in 2015-16 and it was increased to 8 per cent in between 2015-16 and 2019-20.
The Women and Child Welfare department claimed that the number of child marriages came down due to their efforts. The lowest is 22 per cent in West Godavari in the State. In districts including Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, East Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasham, Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa and Kurnool, the percentages range between 23 to 36.
ICDS Project Director BN Sridevi claimed that they have stopped as many as 2,218 child marriages during the past five years. The ICDS has been making efforts in this direction, but the National Family Health survey indicates a surge in child marriages in the State. The figures prove that child marriages are a phenomenon in AP as well as in other States.
Among the Southern States, AP tops while Kerala has registered the lowest rate of 6 per cent. AP occupies 6th place in the country
HANDS project director Kondappa told The Hans India that most of the child marriages were foiled by the ICDS authorities, who are authorised to stop these marriages. HANDS is working along with the ICDS to educate rural populace and even stop child marriages that were fixed. Replying to a question as to why the parents were prompted to marry off their daughters before 18 years of age, Kondappa said there were several compulsions including insecurity, as the parents have to leave their daughters at house when they go to work and they were afraid of sexual exploitation by boys. Other reasons include love affairs, possibility of girls succumbing to pre-marital teen age sex and pre-marital pregnancies etc, which force parents to get them married off soon after attaining puberty. Financial burden is also another reason for child marriages. Replying to a question, Kondappa stated that India stands first among the top 10 countries where child marriages are rampant.
41 per cent of girls will get married far under the age of 18 years in India. 45 per cent of girls below 18 years age are becoming pregnant. In Anantapur district, 4,741 girls are still not attending schools.
