Watersports huts run illegal cafes at Hulhumale beach
"People also have the complaint that they are unable to get snacks or light food on their way to the beach. We are trying to find a solution to that as well".
The beach area located east of Hulhumale is a common area. However, till 4-5 years ago, the area was in the hands of industrialists. The business of hotels, cafes and restaurants had crossed the road and spread all over the beach.
In 2019, HDC (now Urbanco) addressed the complaints of people about non-availability of beach side for any public use. On several occasions, businesses were asked to vacate the beachside and given time to do so. The initiative, which began in January 2019, was successful for HDC and the general public, and the public got access to the beach in July that year.
However, it has now become apparent that businesses have started gaining ground in the beachside again. Cafe setups have started serving food and drinks with seats and tables on the beach.
The cafe service is provided by the hut allotted to Water Sports. The hut also houses supplies to serve the cafe. Now its become like a bar in cafés than a watersports hut.
People have started complaining about this on social media now, though. One user said that the surf shacks have been converted into smaller cafes and then will shift to guesthouses.
When Urbanco was asked about the issue, the company said no one was allowed to run cafe businesses on the beach.
"It's not done with permission. We are looking into it," an Urbanco spokesman told Atoll Times on Tuesday.
The official did admit that there were complaints from the general public.
"People also have the complaint that they are unable to get snacks or light food on their way to the beach. We are trying to find a solution to that as well," he said.
When Urbanco said this, café services are available from directly across the street from the beach from one end of Phase I to the other on the Nirolhu Magu. There are a large number of food service establishments in the lanes that crisscross the road and the narrow lanes between the road and Nirolhu.
On the other hand, operating cafés on the beach was banned because it was already prohibited and it caused the beach to be unavailable for public use.
