Inaccurate data and dubious pre-census records provided by BMC creates hurdles for enumerators.
Nine days after the census exercise began in Mumbai, teething problems continue to bog down the most census takers.
Several enumerators do not know where to go and whom to meet.
While many are yet to receive all the stationery required to conduct the exercise, others are complaining of “inaccurate data” represented in maps and landmark identification sheets distributed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Seven enumerators, appointed to survey households at Juhu Gully in Andheri, have not been able to locate a single household so far.
“We have been surveying the area for four days. We are yet to find a single name listed in the identification sheets,” said one of the enumerators, who did not wish to be named.
Another enumerator added that an empty eight-storey transit camp was shown as a building occupied by 104 people in the identification sheet provided by the civic body.
“The names of the house owners/occupiers mentioned in the sheet are not familiar to the locals,” the enumerator said.
Census takers from other parts of the city have also raised similar complaints.
To complete the exercise in 45 days, the BMC has appointed 18,525 enumerators, who have been assigned 145-odd homes each.
The pre-census data was compiled in June last year and apart from staff from its health posts; the BMC had assigned the task to community health volunteers and college students.
GT Ambe, executive health officer, BMC, who is a senior official coordinating the drive, admitted to having received complaints regarding “inaccurate data.”
Ambe, however, said that this was only true in 10% cases. “The discrepancies are mostly being reported in data collected by non-BMC staff,” Ambe said.
To overcome the hurdle, the BMC has now asked local health posts staff to accompany enumerators, who face problems, in order to familiarise them with their assigned locality.
While Ambe said that “the maps and data are meant to be used as a guide to facilitate the census exercise”, social activist Haider Imam feared that the “dubious” pre-census data could
affect the efficacy of the census drive.
Another problem that has affected the census drive’s pace is the logistics.
Several enumerators complained that they have been assigned areas far-away from their area of residence or work. For instance, enumerators, who have been assigned Juhu Gully, hail from Karjat and Kalyan.
A former civic official, who was part of the 2001 census activity, said that enumerators were assigned areas without “application of mind”.
Ambe, however, refutes the charge. “We have tried to accommodate as many enumerators as possible in areas nearer to their area of residence or work.”
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