Telangana Population Likely to Cross 4 Crore
HYDERABAD: Telangana’s population is likely to exceed four crore, according to estimates by officials involved in the ongoing Census house-listing survey.
Officials have so far completed surveys in nearly one crore households across the state. Preliminary data indicate a population of around 1.86 crore in the households covered so far. Surveys are still pending in about 20 lakh households, and officials expect the final population count to cross four crore once the exercise is completed.
House-listing survey nears completion
The survey initially progressed slowly due to technical issues during the first few days. However, the pace improved later, enabling officials to cover a large number of households each week.
Officials said difficulties are being reported mainly in urban areas. With schools and colleges on vacation, many residents are travelling on pilgrimages, holidays or personal visits to their native places. Survey staff said many houses remain locked, forcing them to make repeated visits.
Hyderabad has recorded more houses than initially estimated. The rapid expansion of new colonies and gated communities has increased the workload on field staff.
Voter mapping and census work overlap
Survey teams are also facing challenges due to the ongoing voter-list mapping exercise. In some areas, both activities are being conducted simultaneously, creating confusion among residents.
Officials said people are often unable to distinguish between Census staff and voter-mapping personnel. Since voter-mapping teams seek personal details and supporting documents, some residents have expressed concern due to a lack of awareness about the two exercises.
Differences emerge between surveys
Officials pointed out that the earlier Backward Classes (BC) caste survey identified about 1.15 crore families and estimated the state’s population at around 3.50 crore.
However, the ongoing Census exercise is showing a lower number of households. Officials said several families had registered separately during the BC survey to avail benefits under government welfare schemes. In contrast, the Census is recording them as a single household in many cases.
As a result, the number of households appears lower while the population count remains higher. Field officials estimate that the final number of families may remain close to 1.15 crore, while the population could be significantly higher.
Officials also noted that some residents of gated communities did not cooperate during the BC survey. However, public participation in the Census has improved, which could lead to a higher number of households being recorded, particularly in Hyderabad.
