Over 700 trained personnel will start field operations under the Household List and Lodging (HLO) census, where enumerators will visit households to record their details under the first phase of Census 2027. The exercise will be carried out over 30 days, till May 15, officials said on Wednesday.
The areas under the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) have been divided into 560 house-list blocks, each with 180 families, officials said.
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The process will begin on Thursday in eight states and union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha and Sikkim, as part of the nationwide census exercise, after the end of the 15-day self-census period in NDMC and DCB areas.
“The self-enumeration process ended on Wednesday. So far, self-enumeration of 12 lakh people has taken place in states and union territories where it began on April 1. In NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board areas, the numbers are on the lower side, with around 5,000 people completing the process,” a senior government official said.
Self-Census sees mixed reactions
The self-counting facility will start from May 1 in areas under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), while the process of listing houses will be conducted from May 16.
Self-enumeration facility has been provided before the listing process of houses to enable residents to submit their details online through a digital platform. During field visits, census takers will use a dedicated mobile application to collect data digitally to ensure higher accuracy and faster processing, officials said.
As part of this process, census takers will collect information on housing conditions, household details, facilities available and assets held by households through a structured questionnaire comprising 33 notified questions.
A second official said that census takers would move cautiously during the first days of the housing listing process.
“There is great anticipation around SIR (Special Intensive Review of Election Rolls) in Delhi, while many residents are still unaware that the first phase of the census has begun. Some may misunderstand the visits of the enumerators as part of the SIR preparations. So the enumerators will focus on reassuring the people and explaining the process clearly,” the official said.
A third official said residents who have completed the self-count should keep their self-count ID card ready and share it with the enumerator during the field visit to complete the HR identification process.
The official said they have already held discussions with Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs). “For areas with a large working population, census takers will visit households after 6 pm. They will spend at least 10 to 15 minutes in each household,” the official said.
