Shillong, July 24: The Meghalaya government has claimed that the population of indigenous people living in Shillong has increased by leaps and bounds, even as it expressed concern over population explosion and called for "control with responsibility".

The population data was shared during a state-level advocacy meeting on World Population Day organised at U Soso Tham auditorium here today.

The programme was organised by the National Health Mission and the Meghalaya directorate of health services under the theme A New Wave, New Belief/Trust: Families Prosper with Total Responsibility.

Delivering the keynote address, NHM mission director H.M. Shangpliang said according to the 2011 census, the total population of Shillong was 3,54,325, which includes 1,76,591 males and 1,77,724 females.

He, however, said without taking into account the floating population, the count of indigenous population has increased by over 47,000 between 2012 and 2016.

He also said yearly the indigenous population increased by over 10,000.

According to Shangpliang, the indigenous population in 2012 was 1.51 lakh, and subsequently 1.62 lakh), 1.64 lakh, 1.83 lakh and 1.98 lakh in the following years.

He also said the population of indigenous people in Shillong alone would cross two lakh by the end of this year.

Expressing concern over population explosion, Shangpliang also referred to the prediction that India would overtake China as the most populous country in the world by 2030. "India has a population of 1.3 billion. But prediction says that by 2030, India will be the most populous country with 1.5 billion, surpassing China (1.4 billion)," he said.

Stating that the state should have a population within limts, he also expressed concern over the rise in teenage pregnancy and early marriage among boys and girls, especially in rural areas, and called for adopting safe and responsible family planning."

State Commission for Protection of Child's Rights (SCPCR) chairperson Meena Kharkongor said women's education in rural areas plays a key role in addressing the population boom.

She also suggested that Accredited Social Health Activists (Asha) and Anganwadi workers should extend their services in educating women and young girls in rural areas on family planning.

Lamenting that there is a lack of proper education and awareness programmes with regards to family planning, Kharkongor said the rise in population demands a strong mechanism to sensitise people on the adverse effects of population explosion in relation to employment, education, health and others issues.

"To have proper family planning and happier and healthier families, people themselves must voluntarily take up the cause. Female education in rural areas holds the key in addressing the ever-increasing population growth," she said.

Kharkongor also pointed out that 214 million women in developing countries want to avoid pregnancy but they are not getting effective support system and information about contraceptives as she sought the state government's help in developing healthcare system in rural areas.

Students from different colleges, health workers attended the programme.

World Population Day is observed on July 11 every year, to raise awareness on global population issues as well as highlight the causes of population explosion and put forward remedial strategies for better and healthier lives.

In Meghalaya, it is being observed for over a month, beginning with "mobilisation fortnight" from June 27 to July 10 and "population stabilisation fortnight" from July 10 to 24.