Finance
The Odisha Government’s Revenue and Disaster Management Department issued an advise to all district collectors and municipal commissioners on Tuesday, emphasizing the safety of enumerators working in the first phase of Census 2027, the Houselisting and Housing Census.
According to a communication from Revenue and Disaster Management Department Additional Chief Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, the first phase of the census procedure began on April 16, 2026, and will go until May 15, 2026. During this time, enumerators are conducting door-to-door surveys to collect thorough information on housing conditions, home amenities, and assets possessed by families throughout the state.
The advisory is issued in response to many instances reported from several areas during field operations. These include the purported death of an enumerator in Subarnapur district as a result of a suspected heart attack while on census duty, a missing female enumerator in Mayurbhanj, many cases of heat-related illnesses and minor accidents in Balasore, and a reported road accident in Rourkela.
In response, the department urged district administrations to take immediate precautions to protect the safety and well-being of field staff. Officials have been directed to reduce heat-related dangers, identify hazardous sites during data collecting, and maintain continuous monitoring and tracking of enumerators throughout the exercise.
The warning also emphasizes the necessity of educating enumerators on field safety protocols, especially in light of rising temperatures and the physically demanding nature of door-to-door data collection. District authorities have been advised to tighten coordination procedures and ensure rapid emergency response systems in the event of any unfortunate situations involving field personnel.
