It's an ordinary beach restaurant, located in the middle of all the huts that line the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. In half a century, Beach Wadiya has made a reputation for entertaining celebrities, from billionaire Richard Branson to Princess Anne, sister of King Charles III.
But his days are now numbered. In the name of environmental protection, the administration in charge of the coast and coastal resources has just given him 10 days to put away his heavy wooden tables and close his kitchen. Otherwise it will be destroyed.
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Grace period
The ultimatum expired on September 10. Accommodating, the government did grant a grace period of a few days to seven owners who were also threatened with eviction, but there was no question of backing down.
The restaurant will be destroyed, as were other shops on this beach last month.
“There must no longer be any standing buildings within a strip of 10 meters from the coast,” the Minister of the Environment, Dammika Patabendi, firmly repeats to AFP. “We have identified 82 properties in this case, we have taken steps to make them disappear.”
Determined to fight, Beach Wadiya – “Beach Hut” in Anglo-Sinhalese – took the matter to court.
A first victory, but not against Mother Nature
The family of its founder, Olwyn Weerasekera, argues that the 1981 law used by the government to evict him does not apply, since his hut with a corrugated iron roof was built well before.
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“We built (the restaurant) in 1974, so before the law we are talking about here,” argues the founder's granddaughter, Suhara Chandrasekera, 26, who now runs the establishment. “We have kept all the permits and authorizations from that year.” “In addition to having asked the Conservatoire du Littoral to stay its decision,” she adds, “we also filed a complaint with the Court of Appeal.”
His family won a first victory. The court has just ordered the suspension of the announced demolition of Beach Wadiya for two weeks, while a hearing on the merits of the dispute is held.
Mechanical excavators
But this is surely just a respite. As Suhara Chandrasekera herself recognizes, her restaurant is not threatened only by the government's mechanical excavators. The sea is already eating away at it.
When it was built, the beach was much wider, cleaner too, lined with coconut trees, photos from the time show. Rising sea levels have swallowed them and reduced the beach to a narrow strip of sand.
“We have already lost two of our huts (...) and several parts of our original bathroom due to maritime erosion,” describes Suhara Chandrasekera.
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“Beach Wadiya is part of history”
Built just before Sri Lanka's tourism boom in the late 1970s, Beach Wadiya stood alone in the middle of the beach, she says.
Then he made a name for himself thanks to a few prestigious clients and mentions in international guides. Princess Anne of the United Kingdom dined there in 1995. So did the royal family of Nepal. And more recently the Indian singer Asha Bhosle and a host of cricket stars.
The flamboyant boss of Virgin Richard Branson came there with his family in 1992, assures Suhara Chandrasekera, but the traces of his passage were swallowed up with the guestbook of the establishment in the waves of the tsunami of 2004. “The Beach Wadiya is part of history,” she says with pride.
Beach erosion
Its menu has spanned the decades with astonishing consistency. Rich seafood platters, mostly fresh or cooked to order, then enjoyed in the open air, without air conditioning.
The only change in size is that the silhouette of the building was raised by one floor to compensate for the erosion of the beach.
If justice preserves it, Beach Wadiya could regain its original status, Suhara Chandrasekera dreams today. “The only restaurant on the beach”.
