Agartala: Child marriage continues to pose a serious challenge in Tripura, with Sepahijala district emerging as the worst-affected region.
According to official data, the district recorded 103 instances of child marriage between April and June this year.
Despite the alarming numbers, local authorities have stepped up efforts to address the issue.
Under the state-led campaign ‘Mission Sankalp’, as many as 101 child marriage attempts were successfully prevented in Sepahijala during the same period.
South Tripura followed with 43 reported cases, while Dhalai district registered 33. Authorities in Dhalai also managed to stop 31 planned child marriages.
Tripura ranks third nationally in child marriage prevalence, as per the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS), raising concerns among officials and civil society groups.
Social Welfare and Social Education Department Director, Tapan Kumar Das, attributed the persistence of child marriage to deep-rooted socio-economic issues.
“Poverty, lack of education, and the perception of girls as burdens in some communities are major contributing factors,” he said.
He also pointed to social media as a growing influence behind underage elopements.
In many rural parts of the state, families continue to shy away from investing in girls’ education, Das noted. “Issues like inequality and economic hardship drive these decisions,” he added.
To counter the trend, the Social Welfare Department has launched several initiatives in partnership with local administrations.
One such intervention is Balika Manch — school-based committees involving students and teachers that monitor absenteeism and report suspected cases to community leaders or local panchayats.
Awareness campaigns funded under the Centre’s Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme are also underway across Tripura, aiming to educate communities on the consequences of child marriage.
Sepahijala’s District Magistrate Siddharth Shiv Jaiswal, a key figure behind Mission Sankalp, said the programme also addresses teenage pregnancies and substance abuse.
“Ten villages in the district, all located near the Bangladesh border, have received recognition for remaining child marriage-free over the past six months,” he said.
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Incentives and public recognition are being used to encourage more villages to follow suit. “Community participation and strong administrative focus have helped turn Sepahijala into a model district in this fight,” Jaiswal added.
However, officials acknowledged the evolving challenges, especially with the rise in underage elopements via social media.
“Tracking such cases is difficult, as couples often disappear without a trace,” said Deputy Director Tiffani Kalai.
While recent efforts have yielded encouraging results, authorities say long-term success will depend on sustained awareness, grassroots engagement, and continued investment in girls’ education and empowerment.
