# Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council (DMMC) is the local authority for the city of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia in Sri Lanka. The Council is responsible for providing a variety of local public services including roads, sanitation, drains, housing, libraries, public parks and recreational facilities. It has 48 members elected under the mixed electoral system where 60% of members will be elected using first-past-the-post voting and the remaining 40% through closed list proportional representation.

## History

The area covered by the present Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council was part of the Kingdom of Kotte. It comprised a number of villages, including Pepiliyana Nedimala, Attidiya and Kalubowila. The areas south of Dehiwala together with Ratmalana were one large expanse of marshland that was sparsely populated.
In the late 16th century the Kingdom of Kotte was ruled by the Portuguese controlled king, Dharmapala. The administrative structure of the area during this time was the Gansabha system as prevailed earlier. In the early 17th century, the Dutch brought a more organised administrative structure from which a broad based taxation and legal system evolved. In the 19th century the British replaced this with a provincial administrative (Kachcheri) system, which led to the current form of local government developing.
In 1937 Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia was a local body of six wards extending over 16.3 km$^2$ (6.3 sq mi). In 1959 this area was extended and divided into nineteen wards and given municipal status because of its rapid urban growth and for administrative reasons. In 1967 the municipal area of approximately 2,109 ha (5,210 acres) was apportioned into 29 wards, as it exists today.

## Demographics

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipality area is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city.
Population by Religion (2012)
Religious Identification in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipality area :
| | Population (2012) | % of Total |
| Buddhist | 111,330 | 60.84% |
| Islam | 29,928 | 16.35% |
| Hindu | 15,978 | 8.73% |
| Roman Catholic | 12,726 | 6.95% |
| Other Christian | 8,250 | 4.51% |
| Other | 4,784 | 2.61% |
| Total | 182,996 | 100.00% |
Population by Ethnicity (2012)
Ethnic Identification in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipality area :
| | Population (2012) | % of Total |
| Sinhalese | 128,363 | 70.15% |
| Sri Lankan Moor | 26,875 | 14.69% |
| Sri Lankan Tamil | 20,769 | 11.35% |
| Burgher | 2,609 | 1.43% |
| Indian Tamil | 2,095 | 1.14% |
| Malay | 1,102 | 0.60% |
| Other | 964 | 0.53% |
| Sri Lankan Chetty | 139 | 0.08% |
| Baratha | 80 | 0.04% |
| Total | 182,996 | 100.00% |

## Wards

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia municipality is the second largest in Sri Lanka covering 21.09 km$^2$ (8.14 sq mi). It lies to the south of the Colombo Municipal Council area separated by the Dehiwala canal which acts as the northern boundary of the municipality. Borupana Road lies at the southern limits and Weras Ganga to the east.
There are 29 wards in the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council.
| No# | Ward | Area (Ha) |
| 1 | Wilawila | 50.2 |
| 2 | Dutugemunu | 76.9 |
| 3 | Kohuwela | 85.0 |
| 4 | Kalubowila | 50.6 |
| 5 | Hathbodhiyawatta | 40.2 |
| 6 | Saranankara | 36.5 |
| 7 | Galwala | 45.8 |
| 8 | Dehiwela West | 47.5 |
| 9 | Dehiwela East | 46.7 |
| 10 | Uddyana | 51.7 |
| 11 | Nedimala | 74.0 |
| 12 | Malwatta | 36.6 |
| 13 | Jayatilake | 39.5 |
| 14 | Karagampitiya | 40.7 |
| 15 | Kawudana East | 120.7 |
| 16 | Kawudana West | 51.8 |
| 17 | Mount Lavinia | 29.1 |
| 18 | Vidyalaya | 74.9 |
| 19 | Wattarappola | 39.5 |
| 20 | Katukurundawatta | 115.8 |
| 21 | Atthidiya North | 114.3 |
| 22 | Wathumulla | 54.6 |
| 23 | Wedikanda | 64.3 |
| 24 | Pirivena | 63.2 |
| 25 | Atthidiya South | 140.2 |
| 26 | Vihara | 68.3 |
| 27 | Ratmalana West | 38.4 |
| 28 | Ratmalana East | 106.3 |
| 29 | Kadawala | 305.6 |
| Total | Total | 2,109 |

## Council
### Mayors
#### Parties

United National Party  Sri Lanka Freedom Party  Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna
| Name | Date of office | notes |
| L. V. Gooneratne | 1961-1971 | First mayor of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council |
| Susil De Silva Jayasinghe | 1990-1995 | |
| Sunethra Ranasinghe | 1996-2002 | |
| Danasiri Amaratunga | 2002-2005 | Youngest Mayor in Sri Lanka. |
| Danasiri Amaratunga | 2005-2018 | |
| Stanley Dias | 2018–present | |

### Departments

The Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council comprises ten departments:
* Department of Administration
* Department of Finance
* Department of Engineers
* Department of Mechanical Engineers
* Department of Legal
* Department of Health and Solid Waste Magagement
* Department of Sport and Social Welfare
* Department of Electrical
* Department of Fire
* Department of Health