Location and Area

Mullaitivu District is one of the newly created Districts in Sri Lanka in 1979, which was covered by Mannar, Trincomalee and Vavuniya Districts. This District occupies the Eastern part of the main land of Northern Province.

Mullaitivu District has Kilinochchi district on its Northern border, Trincomalee district and Vavuniya district and part of the Mannar district in the south, Mannar district in the West and the sea in the East. It covers land area approximately 2516.9 sq. Km (including forest area excluding large inland water). This District accounts for 3.8% of the country’s total area.

 Physical Features

The physical feature of Mullaitivu District is flat land, generally sloping to the East and North, in the Western part, towards West and South. This district has 70km of coastal belt and four lagoons viz Kokkulai, Nayaru, Nanthikadal and Mathalan with high potentials for prawn culture. The evaluation varies from sea level to 36.5 meters. Major soil groups are reddish brown earth and red yellow lato soils which are suitable for cultivation.

Land Use

This District consists of different Eco-Systems such as forest land, shrub land, Coconut plantation, Agriculture land and water bodies etc. Total land area (Including forest area and excluding large inland water bodies) is 251,690 hectares. Approximately 167,850 hectares which is 64.1% of the total land area consists of forest, agriculture covers nearly 44,040 hectares (16.9%), range land accounts for 13,650 hectares (5.2%) another 26,150 hectares constitutes of water and homestead and build up land accounts for 5.1%.

The extend of different type of forest in this district is as follows.

Water Resources

This district is bestowed with water recourses, which could be utilized for agriculture development. There are no major perennial rivers that could be tapped to provide irrigation cultivation. The district has three major irrigation tanks with irrigable areas 14536.0 in acre ft, another seventeen Medium tanks with irrigable areas 10594.0 in acre ft, and Minor irrigation tanks numbers 220 were water level with irrigable area 11749 acre in district. Rain water is the only Major source of irrigation for Agriculture.

Administration and Local Government

Administratively this district constitutes part of Wanni Electoral District. The district has six administrative divisions and covers 136 Grama Niladhari Divisions and 624 villages And Four Pradeshiya Sabhas andSix Pradeshiya Sabhas sub Office in this District. 

Population

This district had a population of 77,515 as per1981 census of population. Due to the situation prevailed in this district no census was taken during 1991 and 2001. The district had an estimated population of 180,401 in December 2001, which accounts for 1.07% of the whole population. The resettled population in this district as at 31.12.2014 was 127,877. Details are as follows.

Climate and Soil

Dry Zone – bimodal rainfall pattern. Average annual rainfall varies from 1300mm to 2416mm. Temperature range from 23.0 c to 39.30C

Employment

Major portion of the population is engaged in Agriculture sector which includes fishing and livestock, other occupations are in the industrial activities, employment in the government sector and private establishments.

Economy

The economy of the district mainly depends on Agriculture and fishing. Livestock and Forestry play a supplementary role in the district Economic activities. Nearly 22963 and 4850 families are engaged in Agriculture and fishing sector respectively.

Agriculture

The Agriculture sector is the main income generating source in this district. Totally 80% Farmers depend in this sectors.

District has 16737 ha of suitable land to undertake the paddy cultivation. Details are as follows.

Major - 7109 ha
Minor - 4050 ha
Rain fed - 5578 ha
03 Major Tanks & 16 Medium Tanks feed the paddy land of 7109 ha and The 220 Minor Tanks feed paddy land of 11749 Ac in this district.

Fishing

This district has a coastal belt of 70 km and four lagoons namely Mathalan, Nanthikadal, Nayaru & Kokulai which are very suitable for fishing development. These lagoons are famous for crab and prawn cultivation. There are possibilities for inland fishing development in Major Tanks. Fishing sector takes important place in generating employment opportunities and income facilities to considerable number of families in this district. Still deep-sea fishing is not attuned by concerned authorities.

Health

05 MOH Divisions are functioning in the District.04 Preventive care institutions including 67 Gramodhaya Heath centers and 15 Curative care institutions also functioning under the Regional Directorate of Heath Services in Mullaitivu District.

Education

Two Educational Zone (Mullaitivu & Thunukkai) Student populations of 20878 attend in 95 functioning schools with 1429 teachers and Pupil Teachers ratio 14.6 in 2011.

 Name List of The Government Agent's