The proliferation of shanty towns in The Bahamas is a vexatious problem

Crackdown On Shanty Towns

by Kendea Smith
Jones Bahamas



Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett said the government is going to crackdown on shantytowns in The Bahamas as it poses a threat to the country’s number one industry.

“The proliferation of shanty towns is a vexatious problem. They operate outside the requirements for proper sanitation, without regard to the building code and in violation of safety requirements for electricity,” he said during his budget contribution in the House of Assembly.

“The Department of Environmental Health Services is taking steps to proactively address all of these infractions and other environmental issues surrounding the proliferation of shanty towns throughout the country. A special project unit (SPU) was created within the ministry of the environmental and housing to address the environmental health issues associated with shanty towns.”

The minister said a special project unit headed by an assistant director in the DEHS benefited from a report on shanty towns throughout the islands of The Bahamas prepared by BNGIS.

He added that existing reports on identified shanty towns in Nassau, Abaco, Exuma and Eleuthera are being updated and new reports are being prepared in respect of shanty towns for which the Department of Environmental Health Services has not conducted an investigation.

“As we get more empirical data, we are astounded by the amount of Shanty towns popping up. But what I do want to tell the people of The Bahamas is this – they will be hearing from me in more weeks to come on this very same issue. What is important to know is that the protocol of operations to be followed in dealing with the shanty towns has been established. A copy of all notices served and will be serving on the owners and occupiers of shanty towns by DEHS will be copied to the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of National Security, and the Departments of Immigration and Social Services,” Minister Dorsett said.

Minister Dorsett said the Ministry of Works will serve notices it may deem appropriate and shanty town occupiers and/owners will be required to provide an occupancy certificate, approved building plan/permit from the M.O.W, approved BEC connection and approved by Water & Sewerage connection. If these cannot be produced the Ministry of Works will also be able to take necessary action.

“When I began this discussion earlier this year, it is clear to me that the vast majority of our shanty towns are actually on private land. But what was interesting to me is that the owners of those private parcels of land have sought me out. Two families in particular have told me that they have approached administrations with a view to assisting them. Some have indicated that they own the land, they have titled documents but they have not been able to get these people off their land,” he said.

“And so this administration is going to take a proactive approach because from a public health standpoint the bottom line is we cannot continue business as usual. One outbreak of Cholera and our number one industry [will be] gone. So this is not something that we can play with.”

June 14, 2013

The Bahama Journal

Caribbean Blog International

...infractions and environmental issues in shanty towns ...throughout the islands of The Bahamas

Special Project Unit Created to Address Shanty Towns

By Elcott Coleby
Bahamas Information Services




The Minister for The Environment and Housing, the Hon. Kendred Dorsett updated the public today on the policy steps his Ministry is taking to proactively address building code infractions and other environmental issues surrounding the proliferation of shanty towns throughout the country. According to Minister Dorsett, a Special Project Unit (SPU) was created within his ministry to address the housing and environmental health issues associated with shanty towns.

“The Department of Environmental Health Services has created a Special Project Unit headed by Assistant Director, Lennard Miller, to address infractions and environmental issues in shanty towns throughout the islands of The Bahamas. Existing reports on identified shanty towns in Nassau, Abaco, Exuma and Eleuthera are being updated and new reports are being prepared in respect of shanty towns for which the DEHS (Department of Environmental Health Services) has not conducted an investigation” said the Minister.

Minister Dorsett also advised that the DEHS will fully enforce the law where there are instances of infractions under the Environmental Health Services Act. He pointed out that the SPU “will complete its comprehensive report by the end of January, 2013 and the DEHS is also establishing an Enforcement Unit, which will focus on prosecutions of infractions under the Environmental Health Services Act”.

December 28, 2012

Bahamas.gov.bs

Caribbean Blog International

Cholera in The Bahamas: ... ...it reminds us again that the shantytown problem in The Islands is a ticking time bomb

Shantytowns and cholera

thenassauguardian editorial

It was inevitable that there would be cases of cholera in The Bahamas.  There was an outbreak of the disease in Haiti in late 2010 that continues.  Thus far, there have been around 600,000 reported cases and 7,500 deaths in that country from the disease.

The Ministry of Health yesterday confirmed a case of cholera in The Bahamas.  A patient was evaluated at Princess Margaret Hospital on October 18 due to symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.  Laboratory tests confirmed the disease on Monday and the person has since recovered, according to the ministry in a statement on the incident.

The Ministry of Health also said there are no other reported cases of cholera in The Bahamas.

“The Ministry of Health continues its heightened surveillance activities and other necessary precautions to identify cases and prevent the transmission of cholera in The Bahamas,” it said.

“The public is reminded to use clean water, wash hands regularly and otherwise maintain good hygienic practices to prevent cholera from developing and spreading.”

Cholera is a bacterial disease that causes dehydration and diarrhea.  It is mostly spread through the ingestion of contaminated food or water.  Water can be contaminated by the feces of an infected person or by untreated sewage.  Water containing cholera bacteria can contaminate food.  Food can also be contaminated if handled by a person sick with cholera.  Cholera can be deadly.

This confirmed case comes one year after a case of cholera was confirmed when a Haitian immigrant, who contracted the infection, entered the country on a sloop.  He was quickly treated and repatriated.

The Bahamas has a large Haitian population and many undocumented people who travel from Haiti to our country.  Because of the regular flow of people to The Bahamas from that country, there is a strong likelihood that troubles there would spill over to here.

What could make the situation dangerous for The Bahamas is that we have so many shantytowns across the country.  Dozens exist in New Providence.  Large ones exist in islands such as Abaco.  In these communities the conditions are often unsanitary with no indoor plumbing and the indiscriminate dumping of human waste in nearby bushes.

Many Bahamians and Haitians still use untreated groundwater – if this water supply is contaminated by cholera bacteria that would be disastrous in this small country.  We have been too permissive over the years with these illegal communities.  They have grown so large and are so many now that it is a political issue to remove them.

If our politicians want to keep them as they are, it is necessary for the government to ensure that sanitary conditions exists in these places so that a major public health crisis does not emerge.  These people cannot be allowed to live in any manner they choose because the issue of their presence is “too difficult” for our elected officials to handle.

A major cholera outbreak could lead to significant loss of life in The Bahamas and significant damage to our economy.  Who wants to visit a country where cholera is a major problem?

Of course, we are not there yet.  And we hope that this is just an isolated case.  But it reminds us again that the shantytown problem in The Bahamas is a ticking time bomb.  They should not be ignored.

Oct 31, 2012

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International