Bhubaneswar, Apr 23: The Revenue and Disaster Management Department issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure the safety of Census personnel in Odisha following a recent attack on staff in Dhenkanal district.

The SOP, circulated to district collectors, municipal commissioners-cum-principal census officers, and superintendents of police, lays down a series of safety protocols for enumerators and supervisors engaged in Census 2027.

As per the guidelines, names and contact details of field staff must be shared with local police stations, and authorities must be informed in advance about enumeration schedules. In identified sensitive areas, one police personnel will accompany the teams.

Enumerators have also been advised to coordinate with local community leaders before beginning work in any locality. In case of hostility or perceived threat, they have been instructed to disengage immediately, avoid confrontation, and revisit with adequate security arrangements.

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The SOP mandates that officials wear identity cards at all times, follow designated field timings, and avoid working during peak heat hours between 11 am and 3pm.

The first phase of Census 2027 -- covering house listing and housing census -- is currently underway in the state from April 16 and will continue till May 15, 2026. During this phase, data on housing conditions, amenities, and household assets are being collected.

The move comes a day after four Census staffers, including two women, were injured in an alleged attack while conducting enumeration work in the Kamakhyanagar area.

The government has warned that any obstruction to Census duties will invite strict action under the Census Act, 1984, including fines and imprisonment of up to three years.