Hurricane Matthew caused damage to homes across New Providence. Those who live on the southern coast took the hardest hit, as storm surge accompanied the 140-mile-per-hour winds.

Furniture and appliances were lost due to flood damage. In the days after the storm some people had nearly everything they owned outside in the yard or street hoping the items would dry and be preserved. Some things were salvageable; others were not.

Too many Bahamians have the bad habit of illegally dumping discarded items in wooded areas. If you drive around uninhabited parts of the island you see old appliances, trash, old clothes and furniture in bushes. Despite there being regular garbage collection and access to the New Providence landfill, the practice continues.

Dense black smoke drifted over parts of Fox Hill yesterday, the result of furniture, appliances and other discarded items burning feet away from homes in St. Anne's Estates off Prince Charles Drive. The northern section of the newly developed area has become an active illegal dumping site.

As our reporters interviewed frustrated residents, some who evacuated their homes because of the thick smoke and fumes, several large pickup trucks filled with household furnishings and debris sped to the site, and left bare.

Shanique Davis, a mother of one who has lived in the area for five years, said she and her husband confronted several people dumping as recently as Sunday "but the minute they saw no one outside, they went right back".

This illegal and nasty practice harms those who live in nearby communities. Beatrice Hield recalled her children waking up coughing the last time the area was burning. Smoke filled their home.

"It is a health hazard," she said.

"... It is a vexing problem and outside of it being a health hazard, it is a safety issue. These trucks are speeding through the neighborhood and we have small children in the neighborhood."

Police have a role to play in stopping this. Technology could help. In an area where illegal dumping is prevalent setting up surveillance cameras would help identify the culprits. Patrolling the area from time to time would help too. We also agree with the suggestion that fines should be increased on dumpers to deter the practice.

But beyond this, Bahamians must have more respect for their fellow citizens, the law and the environment. If you have many large items that need dumping take them to the landfill. It only costs a few dollars in tipping fees. And, the government waived those fees in the wake of Matthew.

As we evolve our trash collection regime, we need to have more scheduled pick-up days from residences for large items and debris other than traditional home waste. The absence of such a scheduled service, however, is no excuse for breaking the law and being nasty.

We as citizens have to elevate our mindsets. We live on a beautiful chain of islands. We must work to keep them that way.

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