CCD keeps foreign owned tourist hotel in the balance

The drastic sea erosion in the coastal line has created severe damages to private houses and to a foreign owned tourist hotel in the Marawila area, a hotelier said yesterday.

He said despite several request letters, numerous telephone calls to the Director of the Coast Conservation and four personal visits, no action was taken by the Coast Conservation Department (CCD) to protect the hotel beach from being washed away into the sea.

The hotel management is in despair, since foreign tour operators disqualify hotels whose coastal line is insecured or damaged and being a risk for tourists who are used to taking regular sea baths. While visiting and meeting the Director General of the CCD on numerous occasions and being promised for an immediate solution, more than three months have passed without receiving help.

In the direct neighbourhood of the effected beach hotel, all other coastal lines had been re-enforced and the sea does not pose any more threats in these areas. However, the CCD did not complete the task to the foreign owned hotel as at today.

The hotel management had provided photos to the CCD from a site just 500 metres from the hotel, where sufficient numbers of boulders are idling, which would be the solution for the beach hotel coast, if they are used to be dumped in the affected area at the beach hotel.

Employment of the hotel staff will be at risk, if the coastal line is not repaired, since the beach hotel is severely damaged and the picture creates negative ratings from foreign tour operators. An immediate relief is needed because the jobs of 30 families are at high risk.