Bhubaneswar, April 23, 2026 — The Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management (R&DM) Department issued a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Thursday to protect census enumerators and supervisors following a series of heatstroke cases and physical assault incidents during the ongoing Census 2027 houselisting phase. The directive comes as field workers conduct door-to-door surveys across the state between April 16 and May 15, 2026, exposing them to both extreme summer heat and hostile residents.

What Triggered the Emergency SOP

Additional Chief Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee of the R&DM Department addressed the directive to all District Collectors, Municipal Commissioners, and Superintendents of Police across Odisha. He cited certain untoward incidents in recent days that have raised serious concerns about the safety of census functionaries and disrupted field operations.

Particularly alarming were reported attacks on census workers in Dhenkanal district, which prompted the department to move beyond verbal advisories and formalise a binding protocol. The dual threat of scorching April temperatures and community hostility in certain pockets has put the entire census operation at risk.

Key Provisions of the Odisha Census Safety SOP

The SOP mandates that all enumerators and supervisors wear official ID cards at all times and carry appointment letters during field duties. Critically, census functionaries have been barred from conducting fieldwork between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to prevent heatwave-related illness and exhaustion.

The district administration has been directed to supply ORS (Oral Rehydration Salt) packets to all enumerators for use during field visits. Workers have also been instructed to take precautions against dehydration and heat-related health emergencies.

In isolated or sensitive localities, enumerators and supervisors must work in pairs. Supervisors are required to track enumerators every hour to monitor both progress and security. If workers face hostility or perceived threats, they have been advised to disengage immediately, avoid confrontation, skip the specific household or area, and revisit later with police protection.

Police Coordination and Legal Consequences for Obstruction

The SOP places significant emphasis on law enforcement coordination. Enumerators and supervisors details must be shared with local police stations, which must be briefed on their daily movement schedules. In identified sensitive areas, one police personnel will accompany census teams during fieldwork.

Census functionaries have also been advised to engage local community leaders before beginning work in their areas to build trust and reduce friction. Any incidents must be reported to higher authorities immediately.

The department issued a stern legal warning that any individual who obstructs or hinders census functionaries in discharging their duties shall be liable for legal action under the Census Act, 1948. Offences under the Act carry penalties including fines and imprisonment of up to three years.

Broader Context: Why This Matters Beyond Odisha

Census 2027 is India's first full population census since 2011, a 16-year gap caused by repeated postponements including delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The houselisting phase now underway is the critical first step before the actual population enumeration, and any disruption risks cascading delays in data collection that feeds welfare schemes, constituency delimitation, and national planning.

Attacks on government field workers including health workers and revenue officials have been a recurring problem across Indian states. The Odisha incidents echo similar assaults on ASHA workers, polio volunteers, and revenue surveyors in other states, pointing to a deeper issue of public distrust and the physical vulnerability of frontline government personnel.

The decision to restrict fieldwork during peak heat hours also reflects growing institutional acknowledgment of occupational heat stress as a public health and labour rights issue, a concern amplified by India's worsening heat wave patterns in recent years, with Odisha consistently among the states with the highest heat-related mortality.

Impact on Census 2027 Operations

With the houselisting phase running until May 15, 2026, the window for data collection is tight. Restricting work hours to avoid peak heat, while necessary for worker safety, effectively compresses the productive fieldwork window to morning and evening slots, placing additional pressure on enumerators to meet coverage targets.

The mandatory police escort in sensitive areas, while a protective measure, may also affect the candour of respondents, a methodological concern that census experts have flagged in past exercises. Authorities will need to balance security with the integrity of data collection.

As Census 2027 progresses toward the population enumeration phase later this year, the Odisha government's response will be closely watched as a model for how states manage field operations under extreme conditions.