Sri Lanka 50 Years of Metric: Late Changes and Current Usage

Trilingual highway sign in km in modern Sri Lanka 

This is part two of the article "Sri Lanka 50 Years of Metric" giving the story of how Sri Lanka switched to the metric system as this year is the 50th anniversary of Sri Lanka's metric system adoption. Click here to read part one. This part will go over late changes of conversion carried out, the drawbacks that exist today and Sri Lanka's current usage of the metric system. This article will be holding the Sri Lankan government and the National Metric Conversion Authority to account for their performance in converting Sri Lanka to a metric country. The images of the three posters featured in this article were taken at the National Archives of Sri Lanka of the National Metric Conversion Authority Archives Holding #143. The holding details are mentioned in brackets below each poster image.

Late Conversions

Following the National Metric Conversion Authority's disbandment, in the 1980s Sri Lanka was in a

very muddled state of measurement. According to page 326 of "Insight Guides Sri Lanka" Fifth Edition

(1987), during that decade the odometer of some cars were measured in kilometres with other cars in

miles. They also mentioned that most people still thought in imperial units and that the government

was very involved in converting the country to metric. An example of changes that decade was the

new metric construction regulations in 1986 which came as the Planning and Building Regulations.

These regulations were brought under the Urban Development Authority Act via a Government

Gazette.  

The Survey Department of Sri Lanka was metricating their maps in the 1980s. These new metric maps had a scale of 1:50,000 and were completed from 1985 to 1996. The way the 1:50,000 scale works is that 1 millimetre on the map is equal to 50,000 millimetres (50 metres) on the ground. Therefore, 1 centimetre is equal to 0.5 kilometre and 2 centimetres is equal to 1 kilometre. If the whole 1:50,000 scale map of Sri Lanka was drawn, it would have the dimensions of 8.64 metres by 4.48 metres which is 38.71 square metres, the size of a small apartment. For practical purposes, the topographic map of Sri Lanka is divided into 92 map sheets with a name and a sheet number.

A New Measurement Act 

As a result of Sri Lanka having a new measurement system, an act was needed to legally specify the metric system. A new act was created in 1995 which specified the units to be used in its schedules. This act was known as the Measurement Units, Standards and Services Act, No. 35 of 1995. Mrs. Devalakshmi Balasundaram who was part of the National Metric Conversion Authority, was involved in the drafting of this act. The act established the Measurements Units, Standards and Services Department (MUSSD) in 1997. The MUSSD is responsible for Sri Lanka's use of the International System of Units (SI Units). 

Imperial Hangovers 

Unfortunately, a noticeable amount of imperial units continue to be used in Sri Lanka. Feet and inches

are still in widespread use. Height of buildings is usually given in metres, but it's common to see

heights of mountains and above sea level in feet. Feet and/or inches is used in some product

descriptions, dimensions or sizes. Feet is sometimes used in signs and research publications. The

advertising industry uses feet for billboards (which stands in contrast to centimetres used for

newspaper ads). The width of a road is referred to in feet. 

Some industries that use imperial include tailors using inches (which stands in contrast with fabric sold by the metre), golf courses using yards and recipes using inches. British thermal units (BTU) and horsepower are still being used. The Chairman of the National Metric Conversion Authority Mr. H.L.K. Goonetilleke said in a 1979 speech that the Paddy Marketing Board is switching away from the bushel, yet bushels still have some use for paddy in agriculture. Feet has some use in dams. Related to it, acre-feet is still used for reservoir capacity, though it's getting more common to see Million Cubic Metres (MCM) used instead. Cubic feet have some use for natural gas.

Some mileposts remain, though it is mostly kilometre stones which are seen throughout Sri Lanka. A

2004 letter to the editor reported that there are sellers in Gampaha measuring rice in the traditional

seruwa dry measurement as well as textiles sold by the yard. There is also the issue of incorrect metric

usage, where kilometres per hour is usually referred to in the incorrect abbreviation kmph including on

most road signs. The correct abbreviation is km/h.

Temperature

Celsius is used consistently for temperature, yet many Sri Lankans use Fahrenheit for body

temperature. However, progress has been seen in this sector, as it is increasingly common to see Sri

Lankans using Celsius for body temperature. A poster shown below produced during metrication

shows the difference of one degree increments in Celsius for body temperature. Contrast this with the

Fahrenheit scale which uses decimal places for the same information. Also, some devices which heat

tea leaves in tea plantations use Fahrenheit as the equipment is very old. This provides a great

opportunity for Sri Lankan entrepreneurs or the private sector to create new modern digital devices

using Celsius to replace the old ones that could utilise smart technology. 

Poster on Temperature in English made during metrication which is useful in educating Sri Lankans

today about body temperature in Celsius (SLNA 143/57)

Metric Paper 

Sri Lanka uses the metric A4 paper, yet many digital documents are in Letter format (a US non-metric paper size that is shorter and wider than A4) due to the unfortunate issue of piracy, where pirated software is used directly from the US that has US settings. It can also occur in free services like Google Docs due to it having Letter as the default setting. Documents can be changed to A4 in the settings. Using A4 paper for both digital documents and sheets of paper will not give you the extra white space on the top and bottom when printing a Letter document on A4 paper as both dimensions are in alignment.

Metric Area Measurements

Area measurements is a sector that still has imperial set as its primary measurement units. The usual practice in this sector are square feet for houses & buildings and perches, roods & acres for land, though square kilometres are used for the sizes of large lands. Frontage is also referred to in feet. It is worth noting that Dr. Ronald T. Wijewantha (Chairman of the National Metrication Board) mentioned in a 1974 talk that after the metrication process all transactions including land should be in metric and that the Measurement Units, Standards and Services Act, No. 35 of 1995 requires land to be sold in metric units.

However, there are some sectors where metric area measurements have significant use, is the

preferred or standard unit. The government uses metric area measurements as their primary units

such as square metres for built-up areas. However, certain government departments' area

measurements are set to imperial and some government personnel may revert or choose to use those

units. The state run Board of Investment (BOI) has some area investment conditions in imperial and

some in metric which can be confusing for international investors to secure much needed Foreign

Direct Investment (FDI). When it comes to foreign funded or assisted projects, it is common to see

metric area measurements. It is good to see this occurring even in instances when the foreign

involvement comes from another metric country that still measures area in imperial units such as

Singapore or Hong Kong. 

The agricultural industry often uses hectares. Many tea plantation signs give its extent in hectares. I

am not sure if it applies to other agricultural plantations. Hectares is the preferred unit in forestry

including reforestation. Some researchers use hectares in their research on land issues. Surveyors

report in both imperial and metric with hectares being the primary unit. While many architects use

square feet, square metres have some usage in architecture. The construction industry and civil

engineering uses square metres. The floor space for convention and exhibition stalls are rented out in

square metres. Sri Lanka's post-war demining work is done in square metres. It is common to have

square metres used for swimming pools' area. Also, there are the occasional uses of metric area

measurements used in instances with no foreign or government involvement which are the size of a

building/land, property listing of a house, apartment or land and office space for rent or lease. These

instances are listed in either metric and imperial or metric only.   

All metric tea plantation sign including hectares as Ha 

© Martin Silva Cosentino | Dreamstime.com 

According to materials produced during Sri Lanka's metrication, this sector was intended to be

converted properly, as can be seen by posters made about metric area measurements by the National

Metric Conversion Authority featured below. These posters are useful today in educating Sri Lankans

about metric area measurements. Though square metres still isn't frequently used, it is good to see

that this unit has been used in Sri Lanka for a long time, as in 1971 latex/oil blending for the rubber

industry estimated its cost at 50 Rupees per 100 square metres.

Sinhala Conversion Poster on Metric Area Measurements (SLNA 143/61)

English Poster on Metric Area Measurements (SLNA 143/60)

I will mention some factors that may have contributed to the present situation. Many property

transactions are direct person to person. The Metric Units (Consequential Provisions) (Amendment) Act, No. 10 of 1983 that converted laws to metric used decimal places in its square metres conversions from square feet. There is this misconception that when listing small land in metric in Sri Lanka you would use decimal hectares instead of square metres as some government projects use this. 85 square metres sounds better than 0.0085 hectares. It is interesting to note that the 6th Departmental Survey Regulations by the Survey Department published this year, mentioned that if land surveyed has one or more decimal points in hectares, its equivalent size should be provided in square metres to assist the layman.

The government had two opportunities to educate the public and convert the area measurement sector

to metric which they unfortunately did not use. The first was during Sri Lanka's metrication, as square

metres could have easily been introduced to the general public while it was being introduced to the

construction industry. The second was with the passing of the Measurement Units, Standards and

Services Act in 1995. Those interested in this topic may wish to check out my article "The Case for

Metric Land Measurements in Sri Lanka" about this issue. 

Media

The media keep using certain imperial units most notably feet, inches, imperial area units, and to a

lesser extent yards and miles. This encourages Sri Lankans to sometimes think in old units, especially

the younger generations who have been educated in metric. It is not good to see an article using feet

many times without a mention of metres after several decades of metrication. 

Government

Most legislation is in metric, and there is a small amount of imperial legislation that remains either due

to those legislations having not converted or with the government's continued use of imperial in some

sectors. The government's main continuing imperial use includes feet and imperial area measurements

in legislation, regulations, projects or studies. 

Confusing Mix-Ups

Having feet and inches in widespread use results in some cases of a confusing mix-up of units. I will

mention a few of these I have noticed. Doors sold with height/width dimensions in feet and thickness in

millimetres - the correct practice is millimetres for all units. Exercise books giving dimensions in inches

and paper quality in grams per square metre (gsm) - the correct practice is dimensions in millimetres

or centimetres and paper quality in gsm. It is due to an incorrect perception in Sri Lanka of the foot

being a valid alternative to the metre and the inch being a valid alternative to the centimetre that leads

to these non-legal units having official uses with laws on metric units being ignored. Going back and

forth between feet and metres which occurs in Sri Lanka can lead you to confuse one unit with the

other.  

Suggestions to Complete Metrication

The main reason for some continuing imperial usage is because the National Metric Conversion Authority let the old units continue to be used alongside their metric counterparts in some sectors according to Dr. G.M.S. de Silva (Secretary of the National Metrication Board) in his article "Confusion over half-way conversions". Our continuing use of imperial in some sectors is preventing us from using the full potential of the metric system. It is unfortunate that some units that are no longer legal continue to be used. As this is the 50th anniversary of the metric system adoption in Sri Lanka, I think it is good to strive for a better usage of the metric system. This includes getting familiar with and using metric units in a sector where it is not common, e.g. road widths in metres, tailoring in millimetres, body temperature in Celsius, etc.

The following are my suggestions to complete metrication. I call on the MUSSD to carry out a study on

how well Sri Lanka is using the metric system and work to complete metrication. The MUSSD should

convert industries still using imperial including tailoring and area measurements to metric. Businesses

selling rates and/or working in old units should be required to switch. The MUSSD should come up

with requirements and give industries a timeframe to get used to it before enforcing it. They can

educate industry & the general public on body temperature in Celsius, square metres and hectares

including incorporating those units into schools' and higher education institutions' curriculums. The

media should introduce metric guidelines for their staff and metricate their newspaper property listings.

Further, future speed signs should use the correct abbreviation km/h with the existing ones gradually

replaced. 

Examples of Metric Usage in Day to Day Life

The following are examples of metric usage in Sri Lanka right now.

Petrol filling station in litres

Height above sea level of town Balana at train station in metres

5 metre bridge height clearance sign

 

Distance sign in kilometres

Kilometre stones

Distance signs to places in metres

Supermarket items in kilograms

5000 millilitre (5 litre) bottled water

Celsius oven 

Tissue sizes in millimetres 

Conclusion - Metric Sri Lanka

While it is true that some imperial usage continues, the metric system is the measurement system used by Sri Lankans. We have made significant progress from the muddled measurement of the 1980s. Metric usage has been increasing in Sri Lanka due to the younger generations being the most metricated. Even the less popular metric units square metres, hectares and body temperature in Celsius are used more. Metric units are frequently seen throughout Sri Lanka. Thank you very much to former Surveyor General of Sri Lanka Mr. Elmore Perera for taking the time to be interviewed by me to discuss metrication in the Survey Department, Director General of the National Archives of Sri Lanka Dr. Nadeera Rupesinghe for her assistance prior to visiting the National Archives and to Prof. David Robson (Architecture) & Dr. Lalith Goonatilake (Trade & Development Specialist) for responding to my queries relating to this article.

Making Sri Lanka a metric country helped the country's exports and made measurement more convenient for the country. Sri Lankans' use of the metric system in their day to day life includes purchasing food by the kilogram, filling up petrol by the litre, reading the weather in Celsius and driving distances in kilometres & speeds in kilometres per hour. Sri Lanka has used the metric system for 50 years and will continue doing so going forward. 

Sri Lanka 50 Years of Metric: The Metrication Story

 

Trilingual Logo of the National Metric Conversion Authority (SLNA 143/61)

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s decision to adopt the metric system which was a major transformation undergone in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had used the imperial system prior to its adoption of the metric system as the country is a former British colony. This article aims to give the story of how Sri Lanka switched to the metric system, providing the details behind the decision to adopt this system and describe what happened in the metrication process.

It’s worth noting that Sri Lanka was previously known as Ceylon, with the country’s name changing to Sri Lanka in 1972. This article will use the name Ceylon for events prior to 1972 and the name Sri Lanka for events post 1972. Similarly, the Bureau of Ceylon Standards changed their name to the Sri Lanka Standards Institute in 1974, so I refer to them in their current name post 1974. All the images featured except the one relating to the National Metrication Board were taken at the National Archives of Sri Lanka. They were taken from the Archives Holding #143 of the National Metric Conversion Authority and feature the details below each image. 

Metric Usage in Pre-Metric Times

Similar to how there is currently some metric usage in the non-metric USA, there was limited usage of the metric system in Ceylon prior to its adoption. I’ll mention some of it. Ceylon’s Rupee currency had a metric related structure being in the decimal format of 100 cents to a rupee when it started in 1872. It’s unknown when it began, but cubic centimetres (cc) were used for motorcycle engine sizes in pre-metric times. Metric units had been taught for science in senior secondary schools and universities. The metric units used were older versions of the metric system, such as the centimetre-gram-second system of units (cgs).

The agricultural sector had some metric usage alongside imperial early. As far back as the 1950s, the tea industry had use of Celsius and grams for soil. That decade also had use of grams per tree tapping in the rubber industry. In the 1960s, the rubber industry had usage of litres including grams and milligrams per litre. Similarly, in the same decade this industry reported usage of Celsius, millilitres, millimetres, kilograms per square centimetre, square centimetres and centimetres. In the 1960s, grams per litre was used for blood samples in medicine.

It’s interesting to note that the Bureau of Ceylon Standards published Ceylon’s first standard in 1967 in an A5 size document. A5 (half of A4 paper) is part of the international (metric) paper sizes, which I don’t believe had been adopted by Ceylon at that time. This corresponds with the beginning of Ceylon’s metrication as covered in the next section.

Discussions to Adopt

In 1966, the organisations the Ceylon Institute for Engineering and the Ceylon Association for the Advancement of Science (now the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science) jointly urged the Government of Ceylon to consider adopting the metric system. Following that, the Bureau of Ceylon Standards formed a study group known as a Metric Divisional Committee to research the issue of Ceylon adopting the metric system. They then provided a report recommending the adoption of the metric system to the Minister of Industries and Fisheries on 24th June 1969. According to this report, among well-informed individuals there was an overwhelming desire for Sri Lanka to switch to the metric system. The Bureau of Ceylon Standards also began producing standards for the use of metric units in Ceylon. In 1969, this included standards for structural and general engineering purposes.

Adoption/Introduction of the Metric System

One year later, the Government of Ceylon decided to adopt the metric system in June 1970. The first major step they made was the setting up of the National Metrication Board. The Board’s two tasks were to prepare an implementation plan and an estimate of the expected costs of metrication. One of the Bureau of Ceylon Standards’ new metric standards in 1970 included the standard CS 99 : 1970 “Conversion Factors and Tables”. This was part of a group of standards produced at the time to facilitate international standards and practices while metricating to enable a smooth conversion.

The National Metrication Board composed of Dr. Ronald T. Wijewantha (Chairman) and Dr. G.M.S. de Silva (Secretary) with the remaining members Mr. B.J.P. Alles & Mr. E.L. Wijemanne, Mr. Eardley de Silva, Dr. M.A.V. Devanathan, Mr. Albert Edirisinghe, Mr. C.T. Elangasekera, Mr. H.L.K. Goonetilleke, Prof. S.R. Kottegoda, Prof. U.S. Kuruppu, Mr. A.M.S. Perera, Mr. D.H.N. Perera, Mr. K.D.T. Samarasinghe and Mr. N. Satyendra. There are at least two other individuals who were members of the National Metrication Board during its tenure being Mr. Baldwyn Perera and Dr. U.B.M. Ekanayake who sadly died young at the age of 32 in 1972. Both the Chairman and the Secretary of the National Metrication Board were from the Bureau of Ceylon Standards with its members comprising a variety of fields including universities, government ministries, plantations, science, opticianry and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

  

List of the National Metrication Board members and its Panels courtesy Dr. G.M.S. de Silva

The Secretary of the National Metrication Board, Dr. G.M.S. de Silva was also incharge of the metrication division of the Bureau of Ceylon Standards. He says “This division prepared the sectoral programs of conversion as well as the new Sri Lanka standards required.” He adds “A number of sectoral committees were appointed to prepare the programs for different sectors of the economy. I acted as the secretary of these committees and guided them in the preparation of the sectoral conversion programs.” Dr. de Silva also conducted many seminars to both government and private sector organisations explaining metric units and the approaches to be taken for the conversion. He lists the end of the National Metrication Board as “when the Weights & Measures Division of the Ministry of Commerce took over the metric conversion activities they decided to disband the National Metrication Board.” 

In 1971, the Bureau of Ceylon Standards’ metric standards produced included school chalk, cement and tea chests. According to a speech National Metrication Board member Mr. H.L.K. Goonetilleke gave at an October 1971 Training Workshop on Metrology in Japan, there are legal issues to consider such as the fact that the metric system was not currently legal in Ceylon. He stated that the then present imperial system would have to continue alongside the metric system during the conversion. The plan was to feature both metric and imperial units in the schedules of Ceylon’s weights and measures law amendment. Ceylon’s law allowed schedules to be amended via the Government Gazette without the need for Parliamentary approval. Once metric conversion was finished in a specific sector, the imperial units for that sector would be deleted.

In 1972, the Bureau of Ceylon Standards’ metric standards produced included wheat flour, white bread and drawing boards. The National Metrication Board presented its report to the Minister of Industries and Scientific Affairs that year. The implementation plan was the key part of the National Metrication Board's report which provided a 10 year time frame for the conversion. According to former Surveyor General of Sri Lanka T. Somasekaram in page 125 of his book “Surveying Stories” (2001), in 1972 he was part of a Survey Department Metrication Committee alongside Mr. R.A. Goonewardene and Mr. A.M. Cumaraswamy. After they produced a report, Mr. Somasekaram went to India (which had adopted the metric system in the 1950s) the following year for a Commonwealth study tour to compare the Survey Department’s conversion proposals with how India carried out its conversion in that field.

In the early 1970s, the London Tea Board (a destination for exports of Ceylon Tea) began operating solely in metric units. They wanted tea sent to them packed in metric sizes or at least having the equivalent weight in kilograms provided. They provided Sri Lanka conversion tables which on investigation revealed that each tea chest was required to be rounded down to the closest lower kilogram value. From basic calculations done on a year with low tea prices, it revealed that Sri Lanka would encounter a significant loss of revenue this way. This event probably speeded up the country’s commitment to metrication.

In 1973, metrication in the rubber industry included converting gauges, scales, charts and measuring vessels to metric. The Bureau of Ceylon Standards’ new metric standards included untrimmed paper sizes & paper board, files & folders and rulers. The Cabinet of Sri Lanka ratified key metrication recommendations from the National Metrication Board’s report. Plans for implementation were set-up via the Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade with the National Metric Conversion Authority established.

The Ceylon Institute of Marketing (now the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing) created ‘Your guide to Metric units’ posters presumably in consultation with the National Metric Conversion Authority educating the public about metric units. These posters were part of a campaign known as ‘Think easy think Metric’.  

Your guide to Metric units poster on weight (SLNA 143/33)

Your guide to Metric units poster on length (SLNA 143/36)

Legislation

A major step of legislation was to amend the Weights and Measures Law in Sri Lanka. This law was the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Law No. 24 of 1974. It established the metric system as Sri Lanka’s base units of measurement. The version of the metric system adopted was the International System of Units (SI). SI Units is the most modern form of the metric system, which was established during the General Conference of Weights and Measures (CGM) in 1960. The Sri Lanka Standards Institute’s new metric standards in 1974 included building timber, plastic spectacle frames and ISO metric screw threads. Conversion for the rubber export industry began that year.

Sri Lanka’s customs went metric in 1975, according to Vol. 5, No. 6 (page 5) of the Canadian publication “Metric monitor” (1978). On the 2nd of April 1975, the Colombo Tea Auction went metric selling teas per kilogram. On the 24th of June 1975, the Coconut Marketing Board gave instructions to auctioneers, shippers and millers to use metric units in transactions of Coconut Oil, Copra, Desiccated Coconut and Coconut Shell Charcoal. These changes came into effect on the 1st of July 1975. Exports and imports had converted to the metric system on a voluntary basis by the end of 1975. It was voluntary as the National Metric Conversion Authority lacked the authority to enforce a conversion to the metric system. This would be rectified with legislation the following year.

The National Metric Conversion Law was passed in Parliament in 1976. It gave the National Metric Conversion Authority powers to implement the conversion to the metric system. According to the law, the Authority consisted of seven members appointed by the Minister. The members are the Chairman who belonged to the Weights and Measures Division assigned with the topic of Trade, four representatives from the Ministry assigned with the topics Industries, Planning, Finance & Local Government, a representative from the Sri Lanka Standards Institute and someone who was not a public officer who was familiar with business activities. The Minister had the power to increase the number of members of the Authority up to eight. All members of the Authority except for the Chairman were to be part of the Authority for three years unless they left office by resignation, death or removal. The Minister was to decide the length of the Chairman’s term of office.

The National Metric Conversion Authority comprised five technical and two administrative staff according to “Metric monitor” (1978) Vol. 5, No. 6 (page 5). Its members included Mr. H.L.K. Goonetilleke (Chairman), Dr. Thilaka S. Weerakoon (Director), Mr. H.L.R.W. Madanayake and Mrs. Devalakshmi Balasundaram. It’s interesting to note that Mr. Goonetilleke was part of both the National Metrication Board and the National Metric Conversion Authority.

The exact titles the last two individuals held is not known, but Mrs. Balasundaram was in charge of all the legislative changes for Sri Lanka’s metric conversion. Her colleague Mr. Madanayake paid tribute to her work on metrication in her obituary as “It was during the metric conversion of Sri Lanka, Mrs. Balasundaram joined the small group of officers who formed the core group, managing the metric conversion under the leadership of Late H.L.K. Goonetilleke, the chairman of the National Metric Conversion Authority. Her main task was the drafting of the acts. Regulation and direction under the metric conversion, proposed by the technical committee had to be implemented, legally. She had the required knowledge, skill and attitude for the task. The scientists in the technical committees knew very little law and the legal professionals knew only a little science. A bridge was required to span this gap and Devalakshmi fitted in perfectly. She could question the technocrats at length to get their ideas in an understandable way to transform them into a form more suited to the legal world”. He adds of her role in amending laws as “Even during the metrication periods, the department relied on her for advice on the legal problems arising from other acts and ordinances the department was implementing.”

Conversion Process

The National Metric Conversion Authority produced posters in English, Sinhala and Tamil. One series was about different fields of measurement e.g. Measurement of Temperature. Examples of these posters are given below.

Poster on Temperature in English (SLNA 143/57)

Poster on Temperature in Sinhala (SLNA 143/55)

Poster on Volume in Tamil (SLNA 143/53)

One aspect of Sri Lanka’s metrication was the setting up of the Standard Weights and Measures Laboratory as reported in Vol. 7, No. 6 (page 2) of “Metric monitor” (1980). Metric measurement standards were obtained by this laboratory during Sri Lanka’s metric conversion. It’s interesting to note that there was another institute involved in metrication known as the National Metrication Institute. They had published a Tamil publication known as ‘Ilankaiyam metri alavai muroyum’. Information about who they were and their function is not available.

In 1976, the National Metric Conversion Authority’s plans for the year included work in the import trade, primary export products and initiating changes in industry. 2.89% of weights and measures tested and stamped as part of the Weights and Measures Ordinance were in metric units, indicating that conversion was just beginning in the sale of food vendors. Two factories, being the National Textile Corporation Factory and the Lanka Wall Tiles Factory were designed and built in metric units. Kilometre signs were installed by the Department of Highways on A class roads. A class roads, also known as trunk roads, connect provincial cities with major ports.

There was a press publicity campaign carried out on the metric system. The Agro-Exhibition event in Nuwara Eliya featured a metrication stall. The National Metric Conversion Authority published two agricultural publications which were “A Metric Guide for the Rubber Grower” and “A Metric Guide for the Tea Grower”. Major changes began in the industrial and plantation sectors and following that in civil engineering and education. According to Vol. 4, No, 20 (page 8) of US publication “Metric Reporter” (1976), in the last quarter of the year there was incredible success in the conversion of exports. All major exports which included tea, rubber, coconut, spices and citronella oil were all mentioned, packaged and auctioned in metric units.

“A Metric Guide for the Tea Grower” publication (SLNA 143/1 A.B.)

Page from the publication on conversion (SLNA 143/1 A.B.)

During 1977, the Sri Lanka Standards Institute’s involvement in metricating Sri Lanka Standards included volume measures, metric measuring spoons & cups, engineering, textiles, paper sizes, doors & windows and road signs & symbols. Assistant Director of Standardisation at the Sri Lanka Standards Institute Mr. Rasa Rajeswaran was actively involved in metrication. There were two notable seminars on metrication that year. Firstly, the Agrarian Research & Training Institute hosted one on metrication and measurements in industry. Secondly, the National Metric Conversion Authority in collaboration with the State Engineering Corporation and the Asian Productivity Organisation were responsible for a seminar dealing with metrication in the construction industry in November 1977. The event was called “On Rationalisation in the Building and Housing Industry with Emphasis on Metrication”. This seminar produced a paper called “Effects of Metric Conversion on Quantity Surveyors and Estimation” by Mr. H.D. Chandrasena.

In 1978, metric usage for manufacturers was in the early stages with 15% operating in metric, 60% converting and 25% planning as mentioned in Vol. 5, No. 6 (page 5) of “Metric monitor” (1978). Major progress was achieved that year. The National Metric Conversion Authority collaborated with other agencies to produce the manual “Recommended Practice for Building Drawing”. This manual related to the engineering sector, enabling building plans and building drawings to be developed in metric units. For the timber industry, tables were produced on timber production and application. Registration specifications for motor vehicle licences were prepared in the metric system. The Department of Health prepared the document “A Guide for Metric Dispensing”. The National Metric Conversion Authority provided assistance to the Department of Agriculture to function in metric units by the end of the year. On 16th August 1978, the Metric Units (Consequential Provisions) Law, No. 40 of 1978 was certified. This law amended existing laws to incorporate metric units. The newly set-up Urban Development Authority defined commercial buildings in metric terms as those having built-up areas above 10,000 square metres. According to Vol. 7, No. 6 (page 2) of “Metric monitor”, textiles began being sold per metre in October 1978. The sale of petrol in litres began in Colombo as well as in the other two key cities of Kandy and Galle. This initiative was gradually rolled out to other parts of the country. 

In 1979, there was another amendment to Sri Lanka’s weights and measures law. This law was the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Act, No. 16 of 1979. Its changes dealt with the role of price control inspectors and definitions of metric units in length, area, volume & two scientific units dealing with radiation. According to Vol. 7, No. 6 (page 2) of “Metric monitor” (1980), sectors with remarkable progress of full or partial metric usage in 1980 included packaged goods, industry, education (SI was taught in high schools and partially for architectural students & technical faculties), statistics, construction & civil engineering, road & railway transportation (road signs for speed & distance in kilometres and vehicle features) and agriculture (tea, rubber and paddy). 

In an April 1980 speech by Sri Lankan Assistant Superintendent of Weights and Measures Mr. A.P.H.G. De Waas Gunawardena in Washington D.C., he mentioned two interesting points about Sri Lanka’s metrication. Firstly, when it came to products sold in packages and containers, the items tea, toothpaste & paint began to be sold in fixed metric sizes under the metric conversion law. For other products, it is valid if the equivalent metric size was mentioned. Secondly, the petrol pumps originally used imperial gallons (4.55 litres) and were being converted into litres. Following the conversion, inspectors verified and stamped the petrol pumps. These petrol pumps’ numbers spin indicating the amount of fuel loaded. As litres are more than four times smaller than gallons, a frequent problem occurred of it spinning too fast resulting in the device breaking down more frequently. In addition to this, the petrol pump meter often went out of calibration and required an inspector to break the mark of authentication. Petrol station dealers would have to get their broken down pumps repaired fast to serve their customers.

During the 1980 - 1981 period, conversion was carried out in the work of the Survey Department. Work had begun on improving the readability of the 1 kilogram scale which presumably related to food vendors. The National Metric Conversion Authority collaborated with the Petroleum Corporation for a pilot project testing petrol pumps. Similarly, they also collaborated with the University of Colombo’s Department of Physics on three under-graduate projects. In 1981, the National Metric Conversion Authority tasked about 10 individuals to repair & manufacture weights & measures. During that year, the Motor Traffic Act was amended as the Motor Traffic (Amendment) Act No. 21 of 1981 changing its regulations from imperial to metric. Similarly, the Coast Conservation Act No. 57 of 1981 was enacted which incorporated new metric environmental regulations using the units hectares, cubic metres, metres and kilometres. The Sri Lanka Standards Institute made amendments to standards which included CS 5 : 1970, CS 30 : 1968 and CS 69 : 1969. These amendments were changing them from being in both imperial and metric to metric only.

As a result of the 1977 building and housing metrication seminar mentioned above, a decision was made to have a Sri Lankan Method of Measurement for construction projects. This was sponsored by the National Metric Conversion Authority with a committee appointed to develop this standard. It was published in 1982 by the Sri Lanka Standards Institute as “Standard Method of Building Works - SLS 573.1982”. On 10th February 1983, the Metric Units (Consequential Provisions) (Amendment) Act, No. 10 of 1983 was certified which amended the previous Metric Units (Consequential Provisions) Law, No. 40 of 1978. This law amended existing laws to incorporate metric units. Sectors affected by this law included electricity, bread, estates, rubber, tea, housing and customs.

Final Thoughts 

Metrication was an important transformation undergone in Sri Lanka modernising its measurements making them up to date with international standards. It’s good to know that metrication was one of the few issues in Sri Lanka with a bipartisan political consensus according to page 39 of T. Somasekaram’s book “Surveying Stories” (2001).

There are some individuals who I communicated with who helped me write this article. Thank you very much to Secretary of the National Metrication Board Dr. G.M.S. de Silva, President of the US Metric Association Dr. Don Hillger, Assistant Director (Standardisation) of the Sri Lanka Standards Institute Mr. Rasa Rajeswaran, Director General of the National Archives of Sri Lanka Dr. Nadeera Rupesinghe and Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Moratuwa Prof. Rohan Lucas for their help. Click here to read part two of Sri Lanka’s metrication story, dealing with the continued metrication after the National Metric Conversion Authority’s disbandment and an evaluation of Sri Lanka’s metrication based on its current metric usage. To those who lived through Sri Lanka’s metrication, feel free to share memories from it. I’d be interested to hear things I was not really able to cover such as how the food vendors and temperature converted. It would be nice to hear if anyone has any interesting stories from metrication.