Abandoned buildings concern residents

A Department of Environmental Health Officer explains
the rat baiting programme to an adult and a child

Thursday,  December 29, 2005

A number of residents have raised concerns about some of the buildings that were damaged during Hurricane Ivan last year which have still not been repaired and have been abandoned.

Complainants have said they are worried that these buildings have become havens for drug pushers and users, as well as being a health hazard.

Hurricane Ivan ripped through the Cayman Islands last year on 11 & 12 September destroying most of the Islands’ infrastructure. An estimated 70 percent of the buildings have over the last fifteen months been refurbished, but there are still a lot more all over the capital that are still in the same condition as a year ago.

Residents are concerned that the buildings could provide the ideal cover for criminals including drug dealers and a place for addicts to use drugs.
“Aside from being a potential cover for all sorts of criminal activities these places are unfit for people to live in and some are definitely being used as residences,” said one concerned person.

Concerns are also being raised over the rise in the rat and other vermin population, which some people are saying are using these buildings as a breeding ground.

The government has been struggling to keep down the rat population, which skyrocketed after Ivan, under control.

The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) had said that it has been focusing on controlling the Island-wide rodent problem, following Hurricane Ivan, and flies are also identified as being on the increase predominantly as a result of the rise in garbage.

The three most common types of rodents here are brown rats, roof rats, and the house mouse.

“After Hurricane Ivan and several heavy rainfall episodes in the 2005 wet-season, large quantities of waste and hiding places provided both food and nesting sites for rodents,” the DEH disclosed. 

“The DEH team identified areas or neighbourhoods with high rodent infestation and targets these for baiting. In general, these areas are also those that present poor sanitary conditions,” the DEH said.

Rats have been known to spread diseases such as plague, leptospirosis, and salmonellosis, and can contaminate food.

Signs of rodent infestation are droppings and urine odor, signs of gnawing; rub marks along walls, or the presence of burrows.

The DEH is continuing to tackle the problem of rodents however they are also asking residents to help.

“Residents are urged to keep their premises and surroundings clean. Refuse, bulk waste and waste food should be removed from premises as they serve as food and breeding sites for rodents,” the department advised. 

anthony@caymannetnews.com

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