New Delhi: Census defines homeless households as those who do not live in buildings or census houses but live in the open or roadside, on pavements, in hume-pipes, under flyovers and staircases, or in places of worship, mandaps, railway platforms, etc.
According to the latest census data, Rajasthan has the highest proportion of homeless and has had the least success in reducing the proportion of homeless persons along with Haryana and West Bengal.
Four states — Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh — account for about half the country's homeless population.
Chandigarh and Delhi record a high proportion of homeless in their population — 0.39% and 0.28% respectively.
The lowest proportion is found in Mizoram (0.01%) and Andamans (0.02%). Meghalaya, Assam and Kerala, each have a proportion of 0.04%.
According to the data, maximum homeless population is from urban areas and number of homeless households has fallen in rural areas between 2001 and 2011.
It has however increased in urban areas by almost 21% between the same period.
Rajasthan, it seems, has the largest number of nomadic population, who move around with their livestock and domestic implements. Most of them move from one place to another in search of fodder for their animals.
