Jammu, Sept. 2 -- Amit Sharma, chief principal census officer and director, census operations, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, on Tuesday, declared commencement of population enumeration (phase-II) of Census 2027 across the snow-bound areas of the Union territories of J&K and Ladakh, with field operations formally launched from the remote and snow-bound areas of Dudu and Basantgarh in Udhampur district. The September enumeration marks a significant operational milestone in Census 2027, as the Census machinery now moves towards the enumeration of the population itself, with special arrangements in place to ensure comprehensive coverage of the region's remote, high-altitude and difficult-to-access areas. Sharma said that the commencement of population enumeration carries particular significance as it reflects the directorate's commitment to taking the Census to every part of the UTs, including areas where terrain, distance and weather present formidable field challenges. He said extensive preparations involving enumeration block demarcation, mapping, logistics, training and deployment of field functionaries have been undertaken to ensure that every household and every resident is brought within the ambit of the Census. He also said that during the self-enumeration phase for population enumeration in snow-bound areas, the UT of J&K emerged as the top-performing state/UT among all the snow-bound areas covered under the September 2026 population enumeration schedule, recording the highest number of self-enumeration submissions. The self-enumeration exercise was conducted from August 17 to 31, 2026, which provided residents an opportunity to participate directly in the digital Census process. During the self-enumeration phase for population enumeration in the snow-bound areas, the UT of J&K emerged as the top-performing state/UT among all the states and UTs covered under the snow-bound enumeration schedule, recording 9,672 self-enumeration submissions. Population enumeration in the snow-bound areas of J&K covers 16 districts and 95 charges, with an estimated 4,146 enumeration blocks being formed. These include Poonch, Kathua, Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Reasi, Kupwara, Budgam, Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag and Kulgam. In Ladakh, the entire UT is being enumerated during September through an estimated 637 enumeration blocks, making it the first UT to be completely enumerated during the second phase of Census 2027....