Chikkaballapur, 27 September

Nine villages under Kuppahalli Gram Panchayat in Chikkaballapur taluk have been declared child marriage-free under the Centre’s Bal Vivah Mukt initiative after reporting no cases of child marriage or pregnancy among minor girls for the past 20 months.

District Child Protection Officer Nautaz said the achievement followed sustained awareness campaigns conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. Officials and field workers reached out to families and explained the legal and social consequences of child marriage.

The campaign was particularly challenging in border areas, where nomadic communities frequently move between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Despite difficulties in reaching some families, officials were able to persuade several of them to abandon the practice, Nautaz said.

The department also helped girls who dropped out of school re-enrol in schools as part of the campaign.

“The results have been encouraging,” she said.

The department will now intensify efforts in Bagepalli, Gauribidanur and Gudibande taluks, which border Andhra Pradesh, with official visits to step up awareness campaigns, she added.