RAJBIRAJ: Govindapur has been declared the first child marriage-free VDC in Saptari district, amid a programme on Wednesday.

Speaking at the programme organised by Village Child Protection Committee and Chhinnamasta VDC at Govindapur, VDC Secretary Satya Narayan Lal Yadav urged all to create an environment where the whole district could be declared a child marriage-free zone.

The district consists of 91 VDCs, where more that 83 per cent people got married before the age of 18 last year.

Similarly, a research carried out by the Child Marriage and Dowry Elimination National Campaign Nepal in Rajbiraj last year unveiled that about 28 per cent of people got married below the age of 15.

District Child Protection Committee Officer Punam Chaudhary, Save the Children's Programme Coordinator Umesh Kumar Gupta, local political leaders and civic societies' leaders among others were also present at the programme.