Nepal’s statistical agency is preparing to conduct the national population census from May 9 despite the coronavirus pandemic, an official has said.

The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), a government-owned body under the National Planning Commission, has already concluded training for the facilitators, supervisors and surveyors for the purpose and is mobilising around 55,000 volunteers and surveyors for the census that takes place every 10 years.

The agency is spending Rs. 4 billion to conduct the census this time. The ongoing corona pandemic is not going to affect the national census, said a senior officer at the CBS. “Even if there is a lockdown, the census wouldn’t be affected.”