Census Enumerators in Pune Face Challenges and Rudeness While Conducting House-Listing

Census enumerators in Pune are battling summer temperatures, high humidity, and uncooperative residents as they conduct house-listing operations across the state. The task is far more challenging than anticipated, with enumerators often met with suspicion and hostility from residents reluctant to share information.

For Sakina Sheikh (name changed), the past few days have been particularly exhausting. Apart from enduring the humidity, she has often been met with closed doors and sarcastic remarks. “People simply shut the door on our faces. There is hardly any awareness regarding the census. Many ask why we need to know details like whether they own a television or have a toilet. Some even ask if we are going to pay their property tax or rent,” she told TOI.

The self-enumeration portal closed on May 15, and only a small fraction of residents completed the process online. This has significantly increased the burden on enumerators, who now have to conduct door-to-door visits to collect the required information. Engaging in a conversation, let alone answering the 33 questions, has become a challenge in itself, according to another teacher supervising census activities.

Getting access to residential complexes is often the first hurdle. Enumerators, most of whom are teachers, anganwadi workers, or government employees, make multiple rounds to meet residents who are unavailable during the day or whose homes remain locked. Each enumerator has been assigned anywhere between 300 and 400 households, though some claim their workload is considerably higher.

Officials said the house-listing exercise has covered the overwhelming majority of households in Maharashtra. However, enumerators report that stiff resistance from residents continues to be one of the biggest hurdles, highlighting the lack of public awareness about the exercise. With less than 10 days remaining, enumerators have urged authorities to intensify awareness efforts. Several suggested that corporators, panchayat members, MLAs, MPs, and political leaders across party lines should encourage citizens to cooperate with the exercise.

People are more likely to respond when the message comes from someone they know locally. “People’s representatives should use their social media platforms, local meetings, and community networks to explain why the census is important and why residents should cooperate with us,” an enumerator said. Others suggested that resident welfare associations, housing society office-bearers, and apartment federations could help speed up the process by informing residents in advance about enumeration visits and encouraging them to keep basic information ready.

“If RWAs and society committees send a simple message in advance, it saves us multiple rounds of visits and reduces resistance at the doorstep,” another enumerator said. District census officials should take proactive steps in the final stretch by coordinating awareness drives, issuing public appeals, and involving local elected representatives, political leaders, resident welfare associations, and local bodies.

There is bound to be pendency because of locked houses, repeated visits, and non-responsive residents. With less than 10 days left, district census authorities should bring together people’s representatives, political leaders, RWAs, and local bodies to help create awareness and ensure maximum coverage before the deadline, an enumerator said. Some say simple interventions can make a significant difference.

One enumerator recalled how a housing society chairman circulated the enumerator’s details and identification card on the residents’ WhatsApp group and informed members about the visit schedule. “It made a huge difference. Residents were prepared, and the watchman helped guide the enumerator from house to house. The process became much simpler,” the enumerator said. Another census staffer from the Peth area said national duties cannot be challenged, but more awareness can speed up work.

Unlike earlier paper-based surveys, the current exercise requires geo-location tagging, app-based data entry, uploads, and repeated verification of information, all while meeting daily targets and balancing regular duties. Census staff said many residents in rural areas are reluctant to disclose accurate information, forcing repeated visits and verification. A census staffer noted that village representatives and sarpanches may give them a general idea, and many enumerators are from the same area, but people still do not always provide correct information.

Workload distribution is disproportionate, with some enumerators assigned around 300 households, others covering 500 to 600 homes, and yet others allocated areas far from their place of residence. “There are cases where an enumerator living in Kondhwa has been assigned work in Nagar Road area. Such issues should have been examined. Since this is a national exercise, better planning would have helped,” an enumerator said. Another from Pune district added that when a household does not have a toilet, some residents claim they do. “We have to conduct re-checks to ensure incorrect information is not entered,” she added.