Complete census after 30 years

Chaminda PERERA

The country will be subjected to a full census in 2011 after a lapse of 30 years and preliminary planning and drawing of maps at Divisional Secretariat and Grama Niladhari level are being done by the Census and Statistics Department officials.

According to Director Census of the Department of Census and Statistics H. R. M. Gunasekera, the census which was held in 2001 after a lapse of 20 years covered only 18 districts.

"We have already started mapping blocks from which enumeration will begin first. Each block comprises a definete number of houses", he said. Gunasekera said the Department will increase the number of houses in a block on a par with the UN standards in respect of conducting census.

He said the Department had not conducted a complete census covering all districts after 1981 due to many reasons. "A census should be carried out once in ten years but no census was held in 1991" ' he said. Gunaselara said the Department has not determined the number of enumerators to be deployed for the census but expected that the number of enumerators could be reduced from 100,000 to around 80,000 or 90,000 with the widening of blocks.

"The Department deployed more than 100,000 enumerators for the last census which excluded the northern parts of the island. This number will decrease with the widening of blocks," Gunasekera said.