Batticaloa District
Administrative District in Eastern, Sri Lanka
Batticaloa District
மட்டக்களப்பு மாவட்டம் මඩකලපුව දිස්ත්රික්කය
Sunset at Kumburumoolai
Location within Sri Lanka
Administrative units of Batticaloa District in 2007
Coordinates: 07°50′N 81°20′E / 7.833°N 81.333°E / 7.833; 81.333 Country Sri Lanka Province Eastern Capital Batticaloa DS Division • District Secretary Kalamathi Pathmaraja • MPs • MPCs • Total 2,854 km2 (1,102 sq mi) • Land 2,610 km2 (1,010 sq mi) • Water 244 km2 (94 sq mi) 8.55% • Rank 9th (4.35% of total area) • Total 525,142 • Rank 17th (2.59% of total pop.) • Density 180/km2 (480/sq mi) • Sri Lankan Tamil 381,285 (72.61%) • Moor 133,844 (25.49%) • Sinhalese 6,127 (1.17%) • Burgher 2,794 (0.53%) • Other 1,092 (0.21%) • Hindu 338,983 (64.55%) • Muslim 133,939 (25.51%) • Christian 46,300 (8.82%) • Buddhist 5,787 (1.10%) • Other 133 (0.03%) Time zone UTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka)Post Codes 30000-30999
Telephone Codes 065 ISO 3166 code LK-51 Vehicle registration EP Official Languages Tamil , Sinhala Website Batticaloa District Secretariat
Batticaloa District (Tamil : மட்டக்களப்பு மாவட்டம் Maṭṭakkaḷappu Māvaṭṭam ; Sinhala : මඩකලපුව දිස්ත්රික්කය maḍakalapuva distrikkaya ) is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka , the second level administrative division of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary (previously known as a Government Agent ) appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka . The capital of the district is the city of Batticaloa . Ampara District was carved out of the southern part of Batticaloa District in April 1961.[ 4] [ 5]
Geography
Batticaloa District is located in the east of Sri Lanka in the Eastern Province . It has an area of 2,854 square kilometres (1,102 sq mi).[ 1]
Administrative units
Batticaloa District is divided into 14 Divisional Secretary's Division (DS Divisions), each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent).[ 6] The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 346 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions).[ 6]
DS Division
Main Town
Divisional Secretary
GN Divisions[ 6]
Area (km2 )[ 7]
Population (2012 Census)[ 8]
Population Density (/km2 )
Sri Lankan Tamil
Sri Lankan Moors
Sinhalese
Burgher
Other
Total
Eravurpattu
Chenkalady
U. Uthayashreethar
39
695
60,278
12,617
2,040
119
82
75,136
108
Eravur Town
Eravur
S. L. M. Haneefa
15
3
3,287
21,075
191
69
10
24,632
8,211
Kattankudy
Kattankudy
S. H. Muzammil
18
6
14
40,201
11
0
11
40,237
6,706
Koralaipattu
Valaichchenai
T. Dinesh
12
35
22,799
77
339
82
20
23,317
666
Koralaipattu Central
Pasikudah
Nihara Mowjood
9
80
583
24,961
57
36
6
25,643
320
Koralaipattu North
Vakarai
S. R. Rahulanayahi
16
589
20,519
698
288
5
2
21,512
37
Koralaipattu South
Kiran
K. Thanapalasundaram
18
582
25,820
18
87
0
136
26,061
45
Koralaipattu West
Oddamavadi
M. C. Ansar
8
17
65
22,070
7
0
2
22,144
1,303
Manmunai North
Batticaloa
Srineevasan Gridaran
48
68
76,898
4,569
1,340
2,473
748
86,028
1,265
Manmunaipattu
Araiyampathy
V. Arulrajah
27
37
22,994
7,520
35
2
32
30,583
827
Manmunai South & Eruvilpattu
Kaluvanchikudy
S. Suthakar
45
63
60,457
12
192
5
28
60,694
963
Manmunai South West
Kokkadichcholai
V. Thavarajah
24
145
23,653
5
1,005
1
9
24,673
170
Manmunai West
Vavunathivu
V. Thavarajah
24
352
28,199
13
180
0
0
28,392
81
Porativupattu
Vellavely
Nallaiya Vilvaretnam
43
182
35,719
8
355
2
6
36,090
198
Total
346
2,854
381,285
133,844
6,127
2,794
1,092
525,142
184
Demographics
Population
Batticaloa District's population was 525,142 in 2012.[ 2] The population of the district mostly Sri Lankan Tamil.
The population of the district, like the rest of the east and north , was affected by the civil war . The war killed an estimated 100,000 people.[ 9] Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as one million, emigrated to the West during the war.[ 10] Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to the relative safety of the capital Colombo . The war also caused many people from all ethnic and religious groups who lived in the district to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka, though most of them have returned to the district since the end of the civil war.
Ethnicity
Population of Batticaloa District by ethnic group 1881 to 2012 [ 2] [ 11] [ 12]
Year
Tamil [ a]
Moor [ b]
Sinhalese
Other
Total No.
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
1881 Census
61,014
57.80%
37,255
35.29%
5,012
4.75%
2,277
2.16%
105,558
1891 Census
69,584
56.71%
44,780
36.50%
6,403
5.22%
1,932
1.57%
122,699
1901 Census
79,857
55.01%
54,190
37.33%
7,575
5.22%
3,539
2.44%
145,161
1911 Census
83,948
54.53%
60,695
39.43%
5,771
3.75%
3,529
2.29%
153,943
1921 Census
84,665
53.35%
63,146
39.79%
7,243
4.56%
3,655
2.30%
158,709
1946 Census
102,264
50.33%
85,805
42.23%
11,850
5.83%
3,267
1.61%
203,186
1953 Census
130,381
48.20%
106,706
39.45%
31,174
11.52%
2,232
0.83%
270,493
1963 Census[ c]
141,110
71.93%
46,038
23.47%
6,715
3.42%
2,326
1.19%
196,189
1971 Census
181,527
70.71%
60,889
23.72%
11,548
4.50%
2,757
1.07%
256,721
1981 Census
237,787
71.98%
78,829
23.86%
11,255
3.41%
2,462
0.75%
330,333
2001 Census[ 13]
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
2007 Enumeration
381,984
74.05%
128,964
25.00%
2,397
0.46%
2,512
0.49%
515,857
2012 Census
382,300
72.80%
133,844
25.49%
6,127
1.17%
2,871
0.55%
525,142
Religion
Population of Batticaloa District by religion 1981 to 2012 [ 3] [ 14]
Year
Hindu
Islam
Christian [ d]
Buddhist
Others
Total No.
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
1981 Census
218,812
66.24%
78,810
23.86%
23,499
7.11%
9,127
2.76%
85
0.03%
330,333
2012 Census
338,983
64.55%
133,939
25.51%
46,300
8.82%
5,787
1.10%
133
0.03%
525,142
Poverty
In 2016 the district was one of the poorest in Sri Lanka and had the fourth-highest incidence of extreme poverty according to the World Bank .[ 15]
Politics and government
Local government
Batticaloa District has 12 local authorities of which one is a Municipal Council, two are Urban Councils and the remaining nine are Divisional Councils (Pradesha Sabhai or Pradeshiya Sabha).[ 6]
Local Authority
Area
Population
Registered Electors (2008)[ e]
Elected Members (2008)[ f]
TMVP
UPFA
SLMC
UNP
Other
Total
Batticaloa Municipal Council
54,948
0
11
1
0
7
19
Eravurpattu Divisional Council
585.70
77,203
45,336
10
1
2
0
1
14
Eravur Urban Council
4.90
40,819
16,522
0
6
2
0
1
9
Kattankudy Urban Council
6.50
46,597
26,454
0
6
1
0
2
9
Koralaipattu Divisional Council
242.00
125,000
41,858
6
2
2
0
1
11
Koralaipattu North Divisional Council
645.00
21,202
12,419
10
1
0
0
0
11
Koralaipattu West Divisional Council
25.00
29,614
17,885
0
7
1
1
0
9
Manmunaipattu Divisional Council
21.50
30,218
18,759
7
0
2
0
0
9
Manmunai South & Eruvilpattu Divisional Council
44.17
70,256
38,386
7
0
0
0
3
10
Manmunai South West Divisional Council
161.60
25,279
14,880
8
0
0
0
1
9
Manmunai West Divisional Council
292.65
30,026
15,771
6
0
0
0
3
9
Porativupattu Divisional Council
176.00
49,066
28,116
7
0
0
0
2
9
Total
61
34
11
1
21
128
Notes
References
^ a b "Area of Sri Lanka by province and district" (PDF) . Statistical Abstract 2011 . Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-13.
^ a b c d "A2 : Population by ethnic group according to districts, 2012" . Census of Population & Housing, 2011 . Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2013-01-06 .
^ a b "A3 : Population by religion according to districts, 2012" . Census of Population & Housing, 2011 . Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2013-01-06 .
^ "Overview" . Ampara District Secretariat. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-12-22 .
^ Mohideen, M. I. M. (27 December 2007). "Sinhalisation of East: A reply to Minister Champika Ranawaka" . The Island (Sri Lanka) .
^ a b c d "Divisions" . Batticaloa District Secretariat. Archived from the original on 2014-12-24. Retrieved 2013-01-06 .
^ "Land area by province, district and divisional secretariat division" (PDF) . Statistical Abstract 2011 . Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-13.
^ "A6 : Population by ethnicity and district according to Divisional Secretary's Division, 2012" . Census of Population & Housing, 2011 . Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved 2013-01-06 .
^ "Up to 100,000 killed in Sri Lanka's civil war: UN" . ABC News (Australia) . 20 May 2009.
^ Harrison, Frances (23 July 2003). "Twenty years on - riots that led to war" . BBC News .
^ "Special Enumeration 2007, Batticaloa" (PDF) . Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-08-07. Retrieved 2008-12-24 .
^ "Demographic Changes by the LTTE Peace Secretariat, April 2008" (PDF) . Sangam.
^ 2001 Census was only carried out partially in Batticaloa District.
^ "Population by religion and district, Census 1981, 2001" (PDF) . Statistical Abstract 2011 . Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-13.
^ "Geospatial Poverty Portal: Interactive Maps" . World Bank . Retrieved 2024-01-22 .
External links