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Source: Evening News (York) 11:50 GMT Friday, November 01, 2002 Text and photograph at: http://www.thisisyork.co.uk/york/news/YORK_NEWS_LOCAL14.html Headline: From Tang Hall to Goa. By Adam Nichols CONSERVATION skills are being extended from a York estate to the Indian sub continent. Gordon Campbell Thomas is using skills picked up by managing St Nicholas' Fields nature reserve, in Tang Hall, to transform a rubbish dump in Goa. The nature lover came up with the idea during a recent visit to south India. He was told that Mapusa dump posed a potential health hazard as rainwater washed through years of accumulated waste and into underground watercourses. He has drawn up an organisation to work on the transformation, and a board of prominent Goans and English people is being formed. The scheme would build a two-hectare urban nature park, including a children's play area, a community woodland and a sustainable environmental community centre similar to one built in St Nicholas' Fields. Mr Campbell Thomas said: "We have done this in England and it works well. "Our building in York was the first of its kind in the country. Now we want to bring it to Goa because Goa deserves the best and, with the goodwill of the Goan people and the help of the authorities, we hope to deliver the best." The organisation, named John Lally International, after a famous environmentalist, has already started negotiations with Mapusa Municipal Council and its municipal engineer Vivek Parsemkar. The work, estimated to take about ten years, will be based on that done in Tang Hall. It will be powered by solar panels and wind turbine, and will recycle rainwater for drinking. It is aimed to put Goa at the head of environmental improvement. Matthew Pereira, acting joint chairman of John Lally, said: "There has been enough garbage dumping, now we have to build for the future. "The transformation will show the people of Mapusa and Goa that there are better ways of doing things." **************************************** Don't forget - you saw it on GoaNet! ---------------------------------------------------------- What's On In Goa (WOIG): * Nov 1-17: Swimming classes for children, others. SAG pool, Fatorda * Nov 1: Antonio Costa's painting exhibition opens, F.Oriente 6.30pm * Nov 3: Children's Day by Jan Ugahi, Navelim Perpetual Convent morning. * Nov 4: Book release, on Dr Gama Pinto, Lourdes Convent Saligao ----------------------------------------------------------
