Delhi: Census officials face hurdles in migrant-heavy neighbourhoods

Out of the total 45,864 house listing blocks (HLBs) in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) area, enumeration is currently in progress in 30,819 blocks, officials said on Friday.

According to census officials, enumerators engaged in the ongoing census-related exercise in Delhi are facing difficulties in several outer districts of the city, with officials citing a lack of cooperation from landlords and challenges in reaching migrant populations living in rented accommodations.

The field operations began on May 16 across MCD areas of Delhi for the Houselisting and Housing Census (HLO) under Phase I of Census 2027. A single HLB contains roughly 150-200 houses.

Officials said enumerators are encountering difficulties, particularly in the outskirts of Delhi, where a large number of migrant workers and families live in rented premises or informal settlements.

''Many landlords are either unavailable or unwilling to cooperate with enumerators for various reasons. In areas with high migrant populations, people frequently change residences, making verification and data collection more difficult,'' an official said.

North East district has recorded the highest number of HLBs under progress at 5,486 out of a total 5,944 blocks, followed by South East with 3,592 out of 4,491 and South West with 3,354 out of 4,229 blocks, the officials said.

The official added that concerns among tenants over documentation and identity disclosure have also slowed the exercise in some pockets.

''Census data will help form policies for the next 10 years. If enumerators are not able to collect accurate data, policy makers cannot take into account the number of people actually living in the areas, hence resulting in a deficiency in policy planning,'' a census official said.

To improve public participation and awareness, authorities have intensified outreach campaigns across the city. Officials said publicity measures include van campaigns, street plays (Nukkad-Nataks), radio jingles and television advertisements.

''Charge officers and district magistrate offices are also sensitising people through schools and district-level programmes so that residents cooperate with enumerators and understand the importance of the exercise,'' the official said.

The census exercise is being carried out in phases across Delhi's districts, with officials monitoring progress daily.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)