Lanka’s famed beach shack battles demolition
The government gave Colombo beach restaurant Wadiya 10 days to pack up and leave — or face demolition by Amal Jayasinghe Pix by Ishara Kodikara (AFP)Sri Lanka’s famed seafood shack Beach Wadiya has hosted royalty including Britain’s Princess Anne and sporting legends such as cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, but now faces demolition under a government-ordered coastal […]
Sri Lanka's renowned seafood shack, Beach Wadiya, has been on the brink of demolition due to a government-ordered coastal clean-up. The small Colombo beach restaurant, which has hosted royalty and sporting legends, is fighting against the eviction order. The restaurant, which means "shack" in Sinhala, has been in operation for over half a century and has welcomed a list of famous guests including Princess Anne and Sachin Tendulkar.
However, the government's Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department has given Wadiya just ten days to vacate the premises or face demolition. Despite this, the restaurant's management, led by the founder's granddaughter Suhara Chandrasekera, is resisting the order and has taken the matter to court, citing that the restaurant predates the 1981 Coast Conservation Act.
The court has granted the family a temporary reprieve, ordering the department not to demolish the restaurant for two weeks. Beach Wadiya is the only establishment resisting the order, and the family claims that the restaurant existed before the Coast Conservation Act came into effect. The restaurant is known for serving fresh seafood and has no air conditioning, with small tables set up on the beach.
The family's hope is that the courts will allow Wadiya to survive the government's coastal clean-up and return to its roots.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
