By: Staff Writer
September 07, Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lankan Government has drawn a firm line under the growing problem of unauthorised construction along Colombo’s coastline, ordering the removal of illegal hotels and other structures on the Marine Drive stretch between Bambalapitiya and Dehiwala by September 10, 2026.
The deadline marks the beginning of what could become one of the most significant coastal enforcement operations in recent years. Although authorities have not disclosed the exact number of unauthorised buildings located specifically along Marine Drive, the crackdown forms part of a nationwide audit that has identified more than 2,500 illegal coastal structures violating mandatory coastal setback regulations.
Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi has announced that enforcement along the Colombo District coastal belt is commencing immediately. The coastline from Galle Face to the Bolgoda River has been divided into five operational zones, apparently to facilitate a systematic removal programme.
Property owners between Bambalapitiya and Dehiwala have been granted only a short period to dismantle their structures voluntarily. Once the September 10 deadline expires, the Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management is expected to demolish structures that remain, with police assistance.
But the operation raises a larger question: how did these structures survive for so long?
The absence of a publicly available Marine Drive-specific inventory is itself significant. Without a transparent list identifying each unauthorised building, its owner, date of construction, approvals obtained and land status, the public cannot easily determine how extensive the problem really is or whether enforcement will be applied equally.
The financial dimension is equally important. Authorities have not released valuations for the illegally occupied or encroached coastal land. However beachfront commercial property between Colombo and Dehiwala represents exceptionally valuable real estate. Businesses operating from such locations can potentially generate substantial revenues because of their proximity to major roads, tourist traffic and the oceanfront.
Because many of these operations allegedly function outside normal regulatory systems, there is also no reliable official record of their turnover, taxation or employment.
More disturbing is the reported connection between some coastal establishments and organised crime. Police investigations following the arrest and deportation of alleged drug trafficker and organised-crime figure Shiran Basik reportedly revealed that he owned five hotels along Marine Drive. His Soul Beach Hotel in Dehiwala had previously been demolished by Coast Guard and police personnel.
That revelation transforms the issue from a conventional planning violation into a potential national-security and law-enforcement concern.
The Government therefore faces a test extending beyond demolition. Authorities must establish who authorised, financed and protected these structures, whether officials ignored violations, and whether criminal proceeds entered the coastal property market.
Demolition may remove the buildings. Accountability must explain how they were allowed to rise.