The Ceylon Survey Department Mr. N. S. PERERA Surveyor General (A brief account of the Ceylon Survey Department, covering the period 1906-1931, contributed by Mr. A. H. G. Daitson, late Surveyor General ap pears in the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary edition of the Transactions for 1931}. The progress made by the Survey Department during the past fifty years is shown in the maps and bar charts appended hereto under the following categories :— (a) Engineering Surveys ; (8) Block Surveys ; (c) Sporadic Surveys ; (d) Air Surveys. Explanatory notes under cach category are given below : — (a) ENGINEERING SURVEYS ‘These three-dimensional surveys for planning land development under major irrigation schemes and village tanks were started in 1932 and were carried out progressively except during the war period. With a modest progress of 2,240 acres in the first year, the peak was reached in 1951 with a progress of 239,922 acres. The bar chart shows the annual progress up to the end of this year and the map attached to it shows the location, name and the extent of the major surveys, ‘The total extent dealt with up to the end of this year is 2,194,440 acres. (b) BLOCK SURVEYS The above surveys were started with a view primarily for the settlement of claims and determination of the area of land which is absolutely the property of the Crown. ‘These surveys were started in 1897 for the implementation of the Waste Lands Ordinance, No. 1 of 1897. From 1Sg8 to 1905 block su were carried ont and the plans were produced on the scale of s to. an inch.128 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ENGINEERING ASSOCIATION OF CEYLON Since 1905 considerable technical improvements were made and plans were drawn on a larger scale—vis. 4 chains to an inch. By the end of tgo8—2,133,215 acres of block surveys were completed. In gto under the Crown Landmarks Ordinance, No. 7 of 1g0q, further improvements on the surveys were made by definition of all Crown boundaries with landmarks. These surveys formed a major activity of the Department up to 1931, when they were progressively reduced in order to release staff for engincering surveys and as settlements of villages already surveyed were awaiting settlement. There was a cessation of this type of survey during a part of the second war period. From, 1953 activity in this class of surveys was revived beginning with 53.100 acres during the jirst year and reaching 139,000 acres in 1955. ‘The bar chart shows the annual progress, and the map attached to it shows the location of the areas surveyed from 1905 to 1955. The total extent so far block surveyed being 5,322,139 acres. (c) SPORADIC SURVEYS These surveys comprise several scattered work. Some of the more important items are blocking out surveys, town surveys, acquisition surveys and contour surveys under village tanks. They are distributed over the Island ‘and their extents vary from a few acres to several hundred acres per project. ‘The bar chart shows the annual progress. The total extent surveyed for the period 1905-1955 is 2,109,833 acres. . (d) air surveys Air survey is a recent activity of the Department and was started for trial and investigation in 1y5z. Air surveys can be used with advantage for small and medium scale mapping and air photographs for regional town planning, and for investigations with regard to forestry, geology and_ soil conservation. For experimental purposes a few pilot projects, some at Government expense and others under the Colombo Plan Scheme, were carried out and as a result, an application has been made for the establishment of a complete Air Survey Branch in this Department. A map showing the location of the areas photographed so far is attached. The total extent of the coverage is 2,133,150 acres.i S3HOY GZ'ED 2 : ae maasce! | f : S3ROV sox"! " a v9et | SIMOY 006'522 AE 3 eset |g S3HOV $20'C07 SI oa r : i z z661 i J 2 i 5 i 5 : 496% “ee a |sauav src 0st a A a See OSE! : S2UOV CAR'HL 5 By61 Z y 8 ‘S3ROV 109091 ae = a av61 w 3 Bl 6 Sa40¥ #4006 a 3 " 1961 = 2 Z| cS S3UQV ege'ee pO 098 1 a x} w= = S30 1! EA S16 | ft 2 = al saugy lec'te 2 ear + | a S18 = aMO¥ $20 Aa ©79 a 9 _| a] = a S3HOV 909°6R wal 2961 w Sie 2 3 wo S2UOY O28 aay a 161 a = | = 3 SHOY S988, OFBL o al & z S2HO¥ oBe'ee a PEESINA 6 £6 3 z al 2 s S3UOY £05'C. Sa — 0861 5) zie a SOV 09659 Oa a ems 06 | 2 Zz. 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HMMM D gay SHTML a a) ona Sones dD ACRES sOaTTUMAATEA FAUT ACER SURVEY DEPARTMENT CEYLON Seale One Inch 10 s0Milen ENGINEERING SURVEYS FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PERIOD 1992 TD 1955 TOTAL AREA SURVEYED) 2,164,440 ACRES {Inolveive of Minge (rrigation Schemas) ro wows (1UMERTE) von ensca oe CAFTA gg PRU ruuU BAUR 45,800 sete nut 13,000 ane rue cme F QuRe Extonts of Major Irrigation Schemes only have bean given on Mapern = a ma a wa a 3 = 5 g oe ry 8g ca = z Bs s fa & gS £, 2? ba a § go 2 4 g SFE y & I gibi 3 ia 2 2 " Ss @ = & z ‘Te wr ENS on 2 2 oe urn pa om wa < fear es ws ( 5 2 cm no 70 one Ten eDe f som be 0 oc Co ey oft EEE cee SE eh Ro SE oe oo orm woo ere en nee Soy ot oC ou = mar 9c a oy are Ey ei = ree en (he ea a non Pfiit?ti?itiiiiriiriirs:SURVEY DEPARTMENT CEYLON Soule One Inch t6 40Milos BLOCK SURVEYS FOR LAND SETTLEMENT IN THE PERIOD 1905 TO 1955 TOTAL AREA SURVEYED: 5,322,189 ACRES | Puttalam COLOMBO Gores Oooh, Caron og AFSURVEY DEPARTMENT wea 0.00} per oe a 5 e a oe eit tat ore oa ire ma a ba | oO are mi on Sa omen - a oa 7 Be borane a tn ore oa some = nr | =e oa tev are a en ore = wo xe = | ve “ —— om ve are ct om ace on 2 aT ca on or a were a oer ure a 3 oer te & we 3 9 a &: § er re a BS oor mm sy See nee im oe oe te 08 a a ee 2 & Cr 25 z ser et 5 ey a es 2 wore 5 om ane was § oy ~ HV ae 3 on una z wena 5 ro or ase om ore owe on Sg + 1 & g g & : 5 a 3 gSURVEY DEPARTMENT CEYLON Seale One Inch to 40Miles AIR SURVEYS IN THE PERIOD 1962 TO 1965 TOTAL AREA PHOTOGRAPHED 2.193,150 ACRES yy © Polonnaruwa Skee a