Child Marriage Persists in Nabarangpur: Thousands of Minors Pregnant Despite Prevention Efforts

Despite years of awareness campaigns and legal safeguards, child marriage continues to plague Nabarangpur district, leaving thousands of adolescent girls vulnerable to early motherhood and health complications.

Government data reveals that 4,241 minors became pregnant in the past three years, with numbers declining from 1,790 in 2023 to 833 in 2025‑26.

Blocks such as Kosagumuda, Umerkote, Papadahandi, Raighar, and Jharigaon reported hundreds of cases.

Health experts warn that teenage pregnancies often lead to malnutrition, anaemia, and complications for both mothers and newborns.

Authorities claim to have prevented 1,901 child marriages since 2020, but customs, early love marriages, and migration‑related exploitation continue to fuel the crisis.

To strengthen enforcement, responsibilities have been expanded to include school principals, wardens, matrons, and police officers, alongside ICDS officials.

Yet, weak grassroots awareness and poor departmental coordination remain major obstacles.

Experts stress that ending child marriage requires collective action from families, schools, society, and administration to safeguard adolescent girls’ futures.