Sri Lanka's First Islandwide Census after a Lapse of 30 Years. The Census and Statistics Department to Collect Data from Every Household

26th February 2012, www.sundayobserver.lk, By Ranil Wijayapala

The Census and Statistics Department will launch its first lslandwide census tomorrow after a lapse of 30 years and the Department has commenced enumeration, Director, Census and Statistics Department H.R. Gunasekara told the Sunday Observer.

He said that all District Secretaries, Divisional Secretaries, 16,000 supervisors and 80,000 enumerators who have been given extensive training during the past two months will collect data from every household in the country from tomorrow.

"They will collect data from each and every citizen in the country after calling over at houses during the enumeration from tomorrow till March 19. They will also have a second round of visit from March 19 to 21 during the revision of the enumeration", he said.

The Census Director appealed to the public to cooperate with the enumerators by providing them with the data of each member resident at their homes.

"Those homeless will also be counted on March 19 night by the enumerators," he said.

"It will be helpful if householders provide details such as identity card numbers, educational qualifications, place of birth, professional qualifications of family members", he added.

"Each and every citizen of this country is bound to furnish correct data to the enumerators under the Census Ordinance and the enumerators will keep such information confidential, he said.

This year's census will be comprehensive in the context of the the development of the country as it will also assess the living standards of each and every citizen.

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• Sri Lanka 2011 Census of Population & Housing Gets Underway

• First Ever Census of Elephants in Sri Lanka to Help Protect the Endangered Species against the Loss of Habitat

First Ever Census of Elephants in Sri Lanka to Help Protect the Endangered Species against the Loss of Habitat

13th July 2011, in.news.yahoo.com, By Bharatha Mallawarachi - Associated Press

Sri Lanka is preparing for its first census of elephants in the island's forests to help protect the endangered species against the loss of its habitat.

The head of the Wildlife Department, Chandrawansa Pathiraja, said the census will run over two days starting on the full moon of next month, which falls on Aug. 13.

Elephants will be counted as they come to drink from water holes, reservoirs and tanks.

With the survey, Pathiraja said he hopes to find out the minimum number of elephants, distribution of the population and the composition of herds, including males, females, babies and tuskers.

It will also help the government determine whether it needs legislation to regulate the elephant population.

"The census we do can be used for many years for the policymakers and government authorities in order to prepare policies and projects aimed at conservation of elephants," Pathiraja said.

Elephants are considered sacred animals in Sri Lanka. Costumed and decorated pachyderms are used in Buddhist ceremonies as they parade through streets carrying the sacred relics of the Lord Buddha.

In the past, elephants were the country's trucks, taxis and even battle tanks.

But human encroachment and development have eaten into their habitats, and wild elephants are increasingly entering villages in search of food, rampaging through houses and destroying crops and killing people.

Around 250 elephants are killed every year, mostly by farmers. About 50 people are killed in elephant attacks each year too.

The only count available now dates back a century when an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 elephants roamed wild in Sri Lanka. But habitat loss and poaching are believed to have roughly halved their numbers.

Wildlife officials estimate Sri Lanka's elephant population at between 5,000 to 6,000.

Previous head counts by the Wildlife Department were confined only to certain regions and in 1993, one such census found 1,967 elephants but it excluded the island's north and east where a civil war was raging at the time.

With the war's end in 2009, wildlife officials have gained access to the former war zones. The Wildlife Department has already opened up some parks that were closed down during the quarter-century strife.









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Sri Lanka 2011 Census of Population & Housing Gets Underway

05th April 2011, www.colombopage.com, Photos By Chandana Perera

Sri Lanka today launched the 2011 Census of Population and Housing with Grama Niladaris (Village Officers) affixing a Census label on each dwelling in the country. Accordingly, Colombo Fort - Pettah Grama Niladari Chaminda Caldera listed Sri Lanka President's Official residence in Colombo, Fort as No 001.

The 14th comprehensive census enumeration of population and housing launched today after achieving peace in 2009 will be covering the whole island for the first time in 30 years.

Sri Lanka has been conducting census every ten years since 187. However the last complete census was conducted in 1981 and the census scheduled for 1991 was not conducted due to the ethnic unrest in Northern and Eastern provinces. The 2001 census was carried out in 18 out of the 25 district.

The Director General of the Census and Statistics Department says that around 1.4 billion rupees are expected to be spent on the census, which is to be conducted using latest technology.

Sri Lanka expects its population to grow by about 222,000 every year to an optimum of about 24 million by 2041. Sri Lanka's current population is 20.6 million.

The census would give valuable information on demographic and other related characteristics, useful to planners, policy makers, administrators, researchers, and other data users, the government says.

The government asks the general public to assist the Department of Census and Statistics by allowing Grama Niladari or any other authorized officer to affix the label either on the frame of the front door or in any other prominent place near the front door and not remove it until the end of the year.

Authorities emphasized that the reliability and accuracy of statistical data will depend entirely on the accuracy of the information provided by the general public.

Image: Director General of Census and Statistics Department, Mrs. D. B. P. Suranjana Vidyaratne is seen here explaining the procedure to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presence of District Secretary of Colombo Somapala Hapuarachchi and several other officials of the Department.

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• Sri Lanka's First Post War Year Achieves GDP Growth Rate of 8pct. 2009 only 3.5pct. Highest Ever Achieved Since Independence was 8.2pct in 1968 & 1978