Bhatkal: The first phase of Census 2026, covering the House Listing and Housing Census, will commence across the country on April 1, marking the beginning of the decennial exercise after a gap since 2011. The exercise will continue till May 15, officials said.

For the first time, a digital self-enumeration facility has been introduced, allowing citizens to submit their household details online. According to officials, the initiative is aimed at improving efficiency, accuracy, and transparency in data collection.

Bhatkal Tahsildar Nagendra Kolashetty said that the self-enumeration facility will be available from April 1 to April 15, during which residents can enter their details through the official portal. This will be followed by a field verification phase from April 16 to May 15, when enumerators will visit households to verify the submitted information and collect data from those who have not opted for the online facility.

He said the census will capture details related to housing conditions, including the type of structure, access to water, electricity, and sanitation facilities, as well as other basic amenities. In addition, information on household members such as age, education, and occupation will be collected, in accordance with official guidelines.

Separate arrangements have been made for rural and urban areas in Bhatkal taluk. While the Tahsildar will oversee operations in rural areas, the Commissioner of the Bhatkal City Municipal Council will supervise the exercise in urban areas. A total of 289 enumerators have been deployed, including 190 in rural areas and 99 in urban areas.

All enumerators are being provided with training and will begin door-to-door visits from April 16 for verification and data collection, officials said.

As per the 2011 Census, Bhatkal’s urban areas had 14,219 houses with a population of around 73,200, while nearly 30,000 houses were recorded in rural areas.

Officials have assured that all information collected during the census will be kept strictly confidential and used only for official purposes, in line with established norms.

Experts note that census data plays a key role in policy formulation, development planning, and allocation of resources.

Authorities have appealed to the public to participate in the self-enumeration process and extend full cooperation to enumerators during the verification phase, stressing that accurate data is essential for effective planning.

Residents can submit their details for self-enumeration through the official portal:
https://se.census.gov.in

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