Pune: Challenges from locked homes, poor awareness and non-cooperation in urban areas met enumerators on duty since May 16 but Maharashtra’s house-listing phase under Census 2027 was 99.51% complete as of Friday.
No Extension Required
Senior state census officials told TOI on Friday, two days before the Sunday deadline, that no extension would be required for the door-to-door exercise. “Some urban pockets of Pune, Mumbai and Thane are slightly behind but they too will make up in the last two days. Locked doors continue to pose an issue and enumerators have to keep going back to check so that their listing is done by Sunday. However, we are confident we will not need any extension,” a senior official said.
State Directives and Progress
State authorities have directed all district collectors and municipal commissioners, who are principal census officers, to meet the deadline. Some delays were reported in a few districts, particularly in the city areas of Pune and Mumbai. According to census authorities, Sindhudurg district, Dhule Municipal Corporation, Ahilyanagar Municipal Corporation and Jalna district have achieved 100% completion of house-listing operations. State census authorities have instructed district collectors and municipal commissioners to closely monitor progress and accelerate work in areas where enumeration is still pending. Officials have also been asked to conduct revisits in enumeration blocks reporting a high number of locked houses to ensure no households are left out of the exercise.
Enumerators Face Hurdles
Several days into the door-to-door survey under the first phase of Census 2027 in Pune, enumerators reported low public awareness, non-cooperation and difficult field conditions as major hurdles. “We carried out mapping and geotagging before beginning door-to-door visits. We were given time from May 16 to June 14. However, many residents had gone on vacation during May and homes remained locked. I had to visit some houses at least five or six times before I could meet the family. It is a tedious task, but I completed my list today,” said an enumerator.
Denied Entry and Safety Concerns
Another census supervisor said residential societies often denied entry to survey teams. “It was a major task convincing societies to allow us to enter,” she said. A teacher by profession, she said it was exhausting to complete school duties and then visit households late in the evening. Enumerators working in slum pockets reported difficulties. A worker covering parts of Kondhwa said there were no water stations, no place to rest or eat, and stray dogs posed a safety risk. “Dogs chased me and I needed help from the locals,” he said.
Mistrust and Technical Glitches
Many gated communities and residential societies posed challenges because of restricted access and suspicion among its residents. One enumerator said he was accused of being a fraudster. “I called my supervisor and the housing society federation got involved before the issue was resolved,” she said. A message urging residents to cooperate was later circulated on the society’s group. Technical glitches in the cellphone application used for data collection added to the difficulties. Enumerators said the app needed frequent downloading and synchronisation remained a challenge. “It took me two to three rounds to complete some surveys. I often wrote down the information and uploaded it later in the evening,” an enumerator said.
Data Syncing After Deadline
Officials clarified that while door-to-door data collection will end on Sunday, field staff may continue uploading and synchronising data with supervisors thereafter if required. “The survey work will stop on Sunday, but any pending syncing or uploading of collected data can be completed later,” an official said.
Enumerators reported hurdles in the door-to-door survey under the first phase of Census 2027 in Pune. They carried out mapping and geotagging before beginning door-to-door visits from May 16 to June 14. But census staff said many residents were on vacation and homes remained locked for several days. Enumerators said they made five to six visits to some houses before they could meet the family. Another census supervisor said residential societies often denied entry to survey teams. “It was a major task convincing societies to allow us to enter,” an on-duty teacher, who had to complete school duties and then visit households late in the evening, said.
