LUCKNOW, Jan. 17 -- Even as the Lucknow police have intensified efforts to strengthen urban security through the rollout of 'Operation Pehchan', a dedicated drive to ensure mandatory police verification of tenants, only about 13,800 tenants have been verified so far in the city, which has a population of 40-45 lakh as per the 2011 Census and is currently estimated at around 60 lakh. Experts said the actual number of tenants in the city is likely to be significantly higher, as migration and frequent changes in rental agreements make it difficult to arrive at a real-time figure without a recent comprehensive survey or access to a centralised government database. "However, it would be much higher than the number registered so far and at least 10% of the city's population," a senior police officer said. According to Ashok Singh, chief tax assessment officer at the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, around 7.47 lakh properties are currently registered in Lucknow, but the figure is expected to rise to about 8.5 lakh in the coming days. Launched in 2025, 'Operation Pehchan' makes it mandatory for property owners to complete tenant registration either before renting out a property or within one month of a tenant moving in. Verification is compulsory for all tenants, including cases where multiple tenants reside on the same premises. After online registration, local police station teams conduct on-ground verification, and landlords have been urged to cooperate. "The initiative, aimed at curbing crime and improving monitoring in residential areas, has resulted in the registration of 13,864 tenants so far in 2025," said joint commissioner of police (law and order) Babloo Kumar. He said extensive awareness drives have been launched across all police station areas under the drive. Officials said police teams are directly contacting landlords to educate them about the importance and legal requirement of tenant verification. Public announcements in residential colonies and neighbourhoods are also being made to spread awareness and urge residents not to keep tenants without police verification. Teams are also carrying out physical verification of registered tenants to ensure the authenticity of the information provided. The tenant registration process has been made easier and fully digital. Landlords can submit tenant details through the Lucknow police website (lucknowpolice.up.gov.in) or the UPCOP mobile application, officials said. Guidelines require landlords to maintain copies of essential tenant documents, including photographs, Aadhaar details, mobile numbers and permanent addresses. Police warned that legal action would be initiated if a tenant was found involved in criminal activity and the landlord had failed to inform the police or complete registration. Landlords have also been advised to obtain character certificates of tenants, which can be applied for online through the same platforms. Zone-wise data shared by the police indicate that newer areas of the city have recorded a higher number of tenant registrations compared to older localities. The eastern zone reported the highest registrations at 6,657, followed by the southern zone with 4,928, while the northern zone recorded 904 registrations. The eastern and southern zones include areas such as Gomti Nagar, Chinhat, Gomti Nagar Extension, Ansal, Vrindavan, Mohanlalganj and BBD, while the northern zone comprises areas like Indira Nagar, Jankipuram, Bakshi Ka Talab, Madiaon, etc. The central zone recorded 843 registrations, and the western zone reported 532. These zones largely cover older city areas, including Chowk, Thakurganj, Qaiserbagh, Aminabad, Hazratganj, Charbagh. Special provisions apply to foreign nationals. Landlords renting accommodation to foreign citizens are required to fill Form C and inform the local police, in line with existing legal requirements....