The Hindu 05.02.2011
Corporation gearing up for Census 2011
To be conducted between February 9 and 28
: The Chennai Corporation is gearing up for Census 2011, to be conducted
between February 9 and 28. Even though there is influx of large number
of people in the city from other parts of the country, the data
collected so far by the civic body state that the population has
increased only by around 2.4 lakh since 2001 which is less than half of
the decadal increase of 5.02 lakh in 1991-2001.
According to data collected so far by various
operations, including house-listing conducted recently, the population
of the city is around 45.8 lakh. According to Census 2001, the city had a
population of 43.43 lakh.
There is also a decrease in population in some areas
such as T.Nagar, according to estimates made during the house-listing
operations a few months ago.
Officials of the Chennai Corporation are yet to find the
reason and are depending on provisional population data of the Census
2011 to throw more light on demography of Chennai.
Officials of the Directorate of Census Operations Tamil
Nadu said the scanning of the schedules of the house-listing operations
is under way and the official announcement of the population of the city
would be made in April.
School teachers asked to participate
The civic body has started to impart training to over
9,500 employees, including supervisors and enumerators for the Census
2011. It has also asked school teachers to participate in Census 2011
and cover all areas.
Reconnaissance of residential areas in the city by
enumerators will start on Sunday, as part of the preliminary steps for
Census 2011.
Officials of the Directorate of Census Operations Tamil
Nadu said that the reason for the decrease noticed in population growth
rate of the city may perhaps be because of residents not able to provide
data during house-listing done a few months ago.
Complaints received
“We received a number of complaints on enumerators not
turning up for house-listing in Chennai,” said an official of the
Directorate of Census Operations.
The house-listing did not cover institutions and Census
2011 would cover persons in institutions such as prison, old age home,
ashrams and those who are homeless.
Unwillingness of residents for enumeration, slum
rehabilitation on the suburbs and relocation of more people towards the
suburbs are being cited as possible reasons for reduction in population
growth by the civic body.
