Jaffna District at a Glance
Geography • People • Economy • Education • Health • Tourism • Environment
Location
Jaffna District is the northern end of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, about 410 km away from Colombo. It consists of the peninsula and seven inhabited Islands. North, East and West boundaries of the District are Indian Ocean, South is Jaffna lagoon and Kilinochchi District.
Jaffna District is divided into four sub divisions. They are Islands, Valikamam, Thenmaradchi and Vadamaradchi. Jaffna District falls under Dry zone. Peak rainfall is during October to December during North East Monsoon and the scattered during April to May. The inter monsoon rain is uncertain.
Soil
The soil and water resource of the Jaffna Peninsula are both related to the lime stone geology of the land. The soils are formed on the marine deposits and sediments under the influence of sea waves and winds on lime stones.
Tile lime stone being a porous rock is the source of groundwater for the Peninsula. Well drained and high productive calcic Red Yellow latasol and Red Yellow latasol soil types are found in central areas (60,000 ha). Alkalin saline soil and Regasol are found in coastal areas (26,000 ha) and Alluvial soil is in Valukai Aru area (10,000 ha).
In certain areas coral lime stone is available. This different soil types offer scope for cultivation of exotic as well as local crops. Tile depth of soil varies from 90cm-150cm.
Water
Jaffna Peninsula has a source of ground water store in the sub terrain layer of limestone. The limestone is the main aquifer. This aquifer has several isolated caves and caverns capable of storing ground water without evaporation losses. It is an excellent aquifer.
The entire ground water is generated from percolated rainfall and it forms a freshwater lens beneath the peninsula.
It is found that the fresh water lens do not extend below the base of the lime stone. The fresh water lens is sustained by the buoyancy of fresh water in relation to sea water. Difference in density, (1.0,1.025) giving a ratio of 40:1. That is every meter of fresh water above the sea level requires a depth of fresh water lens of 40m when no mixing between fresh and seawater takes place. There is no sharp interface between fresh and seawater.
Administration
The District Secretary / Government Agent is an executive officer for the entire district. The government administration works at the levels of Central, Provincial, District, Divisions and Village level.
Seventeen Local bodies (Municipal Council-1, Urban Councils-3 and Pradeshiya Sabhas-13) are functioning in Jaffna district.
Population
Total population of the Jaffna District is 633,165 consisting of 211,820 families on 31.12.2024 and female population accounted 51.38 %.
- 627,744 Tamils
- 350 Sinhalese
- 5,052 Muslims
- 19 Burgers
- 83.67% Hindus
- 15.48% Christians
- 0.8% Islam
- 0.05% Buddhists
Agriculture
Agriculture sector is a leading sector in Jaffna District. There are of the families about 47,211 families in this District are solely depending on agriculture including livestock and large share of the population is also involved in home gardening.
People in Jaffna district is traditionally a farming community. Their culture is mostly agrarian based. These traditional farmers have generations of experience about the soil, climate and agricultural technology which is unique to their system of production.
They have their own cultivation techniques developed by their forefathers and the practices have been time tested and proven to be more appropriate than the modem technologies.
Jaffna District is predominantly an agricultural area and always has enormous potential for agriculture produce such as red onion, chilies, potatoes, tobaccos, vegetables, banana and grapes. Other crops such as paddy, pulses, and coconut are cultivated at a substantial level. Palmyrah products are also a substantial source of income.
- Red Onion
- Chilies
- Potatoes
- Tobacco
- Vegetables
- Banana
- Grapes
- Paddy
- Pulses
- Coconut
- Palmyrah Products
Rice is produced during the Maha season under rain fed condition while vegetables are produced nearly the whole around under rain fed irrigated conditions.
Fisheries
Jaffna District is surrounded by Sea and Lagoon. The Fisheries Sector is an important sector in Jaffna District and major economic activity and the source of livelihood for about 23,807 families consisting of 96,342 persons and 23,105 person's active fisherman in Jaffna District.
Fisheries Resources
Education
The long tradition of dedication to education and high priority given to Education from colonial period, Jaffna has been one of the districts with high literacy rate in Sri Lanka. Education is one of the major concerns for the people of Jaffna District.
There are five Education Zones in Jaffna District. They are Islands, Valikamam, Jaffna, Thenmaradchi and Vadamaradchi.
Health
Jaffna Teaching Hospital is the main public health and medical institution for the people of Northern Province and for teaching of medical students of the University of Jaffna and Nursing and Midwife students.
All other curative institutions come under the administration of Regional Director of Health Services, Jaffna. These institutions are forming a network in three levels, such as:
In addition to the above hospitals, Cancer Unit Tellipalai and Chest Clinic Jaffna is functioning under the administration of Regional Director of Health Services.
In the preventive sector under each MOH there are clinic centers, which provide mainly maternal and child health care services.
- 01 District Ayurvedic Hospital
- 04 Rural Ayurvedic Hospitals
- 11 Central Ayurvedic Dispensaries
- 37 Free Ayurvedic Dispensaries
Regional Director of Health Services is in charge for all Promotive, Preventive, Curative and Rehabilitative health activities in this district heads of institutions namely Medical Superintendents, District Medical Officers, Medical Officers in Charge and Medical Officers of Health are functioning under him.
Industries
There are three level industries functioning in Jaffna District. There are Micro, Small and Medium. Most of them are wood based industries.
Secondly, food and beverage types industries and other industries such as cloth and cloth based, light engineering, palmyrah based, leather based, paper based, cement based, coir based, chemical based, and metal aluminium based, etc.
Tourism
Jaffna is an immense potential for Tourism and Hotel industry. Three types of places such as Historical, Natural and Religious places are available in Jaffna district.
- Vediarasan Fort at Delft
- Hammenhein Fort at Kayts
- Jaffna Fort
- Jamuna Pond
- Manthiri Manai (King's Palace)
- Entrance Arch of Jaffna
- Chatty Area at Velanai
- Casuarinas' Beach at Karainagar
- Coastal Areas at Manatkadu
- Nallur Murugan Temple
- Naguleswaram Sivan Temple
- Vallipuram Vishnu Temple
- Nainativu Naga Poosany
- Thondamanaru Selva Sannithy
- Chuddipuram Kannagai Amman
- Pantrithalachchi Amman
- St. James Church
- Dutch Church at Chankanai
- Nagadeepa Buddhist Temple at Nainativu
Tree Planting
Jaffna district has no forest cover as in other parts of the country. There are naturally grown palmyrah trees in many parts of the district. Small scale coconut plantations, indigenous trees and fruit trees have been grown in homesteads, private lands, and common places.
These tree plants components have played an important role in providing a source of income to the substantial number of families, nutritive food and protect the environment.
Agro forestry is not an actual forest; it is a phenomenon influencing substantial effects on climate and environment which is favoring for agriculture and human living. Trees are providing many benefits to the communities. They provide food, medicine, shade, green manure, timber and fire wood and also function as natural cooler in different climate.
Trees are very important in maximizing and diversifying the productivity of highly fertile land. Intensive agro forestry systems are most commonly found in this district.
Tree planting scheme is being implemented as a homestead method. Homestead have the potential for the promotion of agro forestry and social forestry programme in the district and wide variety of tree crops are planted in homesteads.
Environmental Pollution
Environmental pollution is a major problem in Jaffna district. The following issues have been identified:
- Over extraction of ground water
- Application of high amount of Nitrogen Fertilizers
- Over use of Agrochemicals
- Oil contamination in drinking water wells
- Waste discharge from the heavy fuel oil power plant in Chunnakam area
- E.coli contamination due to lack of sewerage system in Jaffna Municipal Council area
- Improper solid waste management
- Contamination of underground water
- Degradation of Bio-Diversity
- Health hazards caused by Parthenium Weed
- Stalinization due to non-maintenance of Salt Water Exclusion Bund
- Unplanned and illegal mining
- Climate change
- Sea erosion