Foot soldiers prepare for census under blazing sun

Nagpur: At high noon on Saturday, when most of the city retreated indoors to escape the punishing summer heat, four women teachers walked through the leafy lanes of Civil Lines carrying notebooks, marker pens, maps and uncertainty about the gigantic task ahead of them.

The physical house-listing and housing survey phase of the 16th National Census (Census 2027) commenced on Saturday in Nagpur and across Maharashtra. Enumerators spent the day identifying boundaries, mapping roads, counting structures and understanding field procedures before the actual house-to-house enumeration begins in four days. The month-long verification drive will continue till June 14.




TOI accompanied junior college teachers Vijaya Fulzule, Sheetal Kurude, Vaishali Charthal and Kiran Dayyanwar as they navigated unfamiliar streets under the guidance of Dharampeth zone officials Sunil Tidke and Pramod Chinchole. Armed with a diary, marker pens, sharpener and a carry bag, the teachers moved from lane to lane trying to decode the mechanics of one of the world's largest administrative exercises.

At every turn, questions emerged. Which lane marked the actual boundary? How should dead-end roads be numbered? What if a single bungalow housed multiple families? How locked houses were to be recorded? The officials patiently explained the process, asking them to observe landmarks, note electric poles, identify internal roads and prepare rough sketches that would later help in systematic enumeration.

Standing near a tree-lined intersection in Civil Lines, the group compared handwritten notes and a map provided to each of them while passing vehicles kicked up waves of hot air from the cement concrete road. Occasionally, they paused outside gated residences to understand property numbering patterns and entry routes.

Officials said residents who completed online self-enumeration between May 1 and May 15 need to provide their 11-digit Self Enumeration (SE) ID to visiting enumerators during verification. During the Houselisting and Housing Census, detailed information regarding housing conditions, household amenities and assets will be collected through 33 notified questions under Phase I.

For the second phase, the administration has created 3,992 house-listing blocks across Nagpur. Around 4,500 enumerators and 700 supervisors have been appointed for the drive. Each enumerator has been assigned nearly 800 citizens and households for data collection between May 16 and June 14 through the HLO (House Listing Operation) mobile application.

The census assignment comes at a demanding time. With junior college admission process beginning after declaration of results, balancing institutional responsibilities with census duties will require careful coordination. Yet, the teachers said they were proud to contribute to a national exercise that shapes welfare planning and policy decisions.

"We have done election duties before, but census work is different because every structure and every family has to be accurately mapped," one of the teachers said while revising field markings on her notepad.

Deputy commissioner (NMC) Nirbhay Jain urged residents to assist enumerators by responding to household-related questions and supporting the nationwide exercise.