3 child marriages stopped in Warangal

Warangal: The timely intervention of authorities not only thwarted an early age marriage of a teenage girl but also ensured her attend SSC exam on Saturday. Had it not authorities responded on time, the girl would have got married to a middle-aged man literally denying her childhood.

The Warangal District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) intervened and saved a 15-year-old girl from child marriage. The DCPU accompanied by ICDS, revenue and police officials met the girl's parents, residents of Ramavaram village under Wardhannapet mandal, and convinced them to stop their child's marriage, which slated for Saturday (March 23).

Further, the officials, who rescued the girl on Friday night, got her joined in Bala Sadan following the directions of Warangal Rural District Collector M Haritha. The girl accompanied by officials attended SSC exam at Wardhannapet on Saturday, DCPO G Mahender Reddy said. Child protection officer B Raju, supervisor Aruna and social worker J Padmalatha counselled the parents of the girl.

In the second incident, the DCPU, ICDS and ChildLine officials rescued another girl, whose marriage is set for Sunday at Illanda village under Wardhannapet mandal. The officials, who counselled the girl's parents, convinced them to stop their ward's wedding. The officials took a written statement from the parents in this regard.

In the third incident, the authorities stopped one more child marriage to be held at Ravuru village under Parvathagiri mandal. Child protection officer B Harikrishna, ACDPO, ICDS, Sumitra Devi counselled the bridegroom's parents. Following the directions of CDPO Radhika, the supervisors Jakkula Lavanya and K Vasanthi met girl's parents at Venkatapuram village under Nekkonda mandal and counselled them. The officials took a written statement from them.