ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, Fri. Feb. 11, 2005: Pests, illegal squatting and a shortage of money to pay the tuition fees of students on overseas scholarships seems to be among the after effects of Hurricane Ivan, which hit Grenada on September 7, 2004 and decimated about 90 percent of the Spice Isle. The Grenada government said this week that armyworms and the pigeon pea leaf-hoppers are fast emerging as two of the common pests in the aftermath of the hurricane. The Pest Management Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture reported this week, that its Pest Management Unit was called in to spray flamboyant plants on the compound of the Point Salines International Airport, which were being attacked by armyworms. While farmers of pigeon peas have had to battle the pigeon pea leaf hopper. Agri officials say they will conduct a survey this month to determine the intensity and distribution of the infestation and deploy field teams to implement control measure in “significant’ plantings. SQUATTING Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries, Energy and Public Utilities, Gregory Bowen, at a press conference recently, said squatting has increased since the passage of Hurricane Ivan and that many more squatters have moved in and built homes on government land. “In spite of several notices put out by the government advising that persons should discontinue the practice of squatting on government lands/roadsides … some person are not heeding to the notices and continuing to illegally build houses on government lands,” stated the minister. He added that the houses will be subject to immediate demolition, with the assistance of the Police Department. SCHOLARSHIPS Also impacted are students on government scholarships, including those in the U.K. Grenada’s High Commissioner to London, Joslyn Whiteman, told the British Caribbean Association meeting at the House of Commons, that the destruction done by Ivan has seriously affected government’s ability to raise financial resources to meet its financial obligations, including to students abroad. And appealed for help for the students. Grenada’s PM Keith Mitchell has vowed the country will “build back better” as the nation marked its 31st year of independence from Britain on Feb. 7, 2005, which ironically was also the fifth month anniversary since Ivan. Reprinted from hardbeatnews