People feel sorry when trees are cut down
In recent days, Ho Chi Minh City residents have been heartbroken to see a series of trees on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street (District 1) being cut down during the construction of sidewalk renovation and upgrading. The road from Tao Dan Park to the Labor Culture Palace, which was once covered with green trees, has now become bare.
Ms. Thu Lan (name changed), residing in District 3, said that she often exercises in the Tao Dan Park area and saw some large ancient trees that had been cut down during the sidewalk renovation process.
"Before renovating sidewalks, we must also consider how not to affect the trees, not say that it will damage the root, afraid of falling and cutting them down, which is unacceptable" - Ms. Lan said.
It is necessary to clarify the responsibility for renovating sidewalks that affect trees
According to a representative of Ho Chi Minh City Green Tree Park Company Limited, on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street (District 1) alone, 17 lim trees over 20 years old have been uprooted due to the sidewalk renovation process. To ensure safety in the upcoming storm season, the unit has decided to cut down 9 trees. In District 1, up to 623 trees were affected after the sidewalk renovation.
The main cause was determined to be that the construction units used mechanical means to demolish and dig up the roots, causing the tree's roots to break. The construction mainly takes place at night, making it difficult for supervision.
In this situation, Ho Chi Minh City Green Tree Park Company Limited has requested the People's Committee of District 1 to support supervision and recommend that construction units comply with regulations to avoid damaging trees.
The leader of District 1 People's Committee said that immediately after the incident, the unit directed the District 1 Construction Investment Project Management Board to issue a document requesting all construction units and supervision consultants who are carrying out sidewalk renovation and upgrading in District 1 to urgently review, temporarily suspend construction and re-establish all damaged locations and green trees.
In case the violation of trees continues to be repeated as in the past, the People's Committee of District 1 will resolutely thoroughly handle the responsibility of the construction unit and the supervision consulting unit, and at the same time consider temporarily suspending construction, temporarily suspending contracts and recommending competent authorities to punish contractors who intentionally violate.
The Department of Public Transport has just issued a document requesting the People's Committee of Thu Duc City, People's Committees of districts, towns and units to ensure the safety and growth of the tree system when organizing the construction of works in the area.
In particular, in case the construction affects trees, the department requires the investor and the construction unit to immediately notify the tree management unit for timely assessment and handling; at the same time, determine, review responsibilities and handle violations, compensate for damages according to regulations.
Relocate trees to another location instead of cutting them down
Dr. Tran Quang Thang - Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Economics and Management - said that sidewalk renovation is necessary in upgrading urban infrastructure, but special attention must be paid to the impact on perennial trees.
He emphasized the lesson from previous renovations, when many trees were cut down, the city became hotter, lost the landscape and received strong reactions from the people. If there is no plan to replant or replace it in time, the environmental consequences will be huge.
Dr. Thang suggested that each tree should be scientifically surveyed to decide whether to relocate or not, or adjust the sidewalk design to keep the tree intact. According to him, urban beautification needs to put environmental and long-term ecological factors first, because a livable city not only has modern infrastructure but also needs sustainable green space for the community.
