Snow, tough terrain fail to halt Census 2027 exercise in J&K, Ladakh
Braving snow, difficult terrain and challenging field conditions, census teams have completed population enumeration for Census 2027 across the snow-bound areas of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, covering more than 5,200 Enumeration Blocks.
The achievement puts Ladakh in the spotlight as the country’s first Union Territory to complete the exercise, while Kishtwar has earned the distinction of becoming the first district in India to finish population enumeration for the upcoming census.
Despite all kinds of hardships and challenges, from the areas along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan to the areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, the Population Enumeration process in the snow-bound areas of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh has successfully been completed, on Tuesday said Amit Sharma, Director Census Operations (DCO), Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and Chief Principal Census Officer (CPCO).
The population enumeration exercise for Census 2027 has been successfully completed in the designated snow-bound areas of the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, marking a significant operational milestone ahead of the national census.
The exercise covered a total of 5,292 Enumeration Blocks (EBs), including 4,597 in Jammu & Kashmir and 695 in Ladakh. The operation required extensive advance preparation, specialised field arrangements and close coordination with district administrations and Special Charges.
The snow-bound population enumeration was preceded by self-enumeration from August 17 to 31, 2026, followed by field operations from September 1 to 30, 2026.
In Ladakh, the entire Union Territory was covered during the September exercise, with 695 Enumeration Blocks completed — 367 in Leh and 328 in Kargil. With the completion of population enumeration in Ladakh, it became the first Union Territory in the country to complete population enumeration for Census 2027.
In Jammu & Kashmir, the snow-bound operation covered 16 districts and 95 Charges. Doda recorded the highest number of completed enumeration blocks at 798, followed by Kishtwar with 602, Ramban with 418, Anantnag with 377, Baramulla with 359, Reasi with 345, and Udhampur with 313.
Kishtwar district, which was declared fully snow-bound, has become the first district in the country to complete population enumeration for Census 2027.
Amit Sharma appreciated the coordinated efforts of district administrations, Census officials, special charges, enumerators and supervisors, besides acknowledging the cooperation extended by local residents.
He said the successful completion of the exercise across difficult and remote terrain demonstrated the preparedness of the Census machinery and the effectiveness of field-level arrangements put in place for areas where geographical and climatic conditions require a separate enumeration schedule.
The operation was supported by an extensive preparatory exercise, with nodal officers and district coordinators deployed across districts for field training, preparation and demarcation of enumeration blocks, distribution of census kits and ensuring that prescribed manuals reached the concerned Charges.
The successful completion of the snow-bound enumeration is expected to provide an important foundation for the next stages of Census 2027 in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.