In Doi Can street, a section of Ngoc Ha ward, there are a series of ancient acacia trees that are decades old, with rough trunks and large diameters. It is worth mentioning that instead of growing straight, these trees are leaning at a large corner, stretching out branches and canopy, occupying nearly half of the road.
During rush hour, the crowded traffic must continuously swerve and avoid. The tree trunks tilted onto the road not only obstructed visibility in the corners but also directly threatened the safety of road users. Many tree stumps have risen, breaking the sidewalk structure, some tree trunks still show signs of rotting, posing a potential risk of falling at any time.
Having lived and worked in this area for a long time, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet said: "The situation of trees leaning onto the road has led to many collisions, including serious accidents that have caused road users to be hospitalized."
She added that although the authorities have pruning the branches, the large trunks are still the main danger.
"The tree trunks tilted towards the road have become a dangerous obstacle, directly affecting traffic. People who are not used to the road, especially when traveling at night with limited visibility, are at high risk of collision" - Ms. Tuyet said, pointing to a cajuput tree with a strange shape, leaning straight out onto the road.
Sharing the same concern, Ms. Le Thanh Tam, another resident, said that this situation has existed for a long time but has not been completely resolved: "In fact, there have been many collisions between cars and tree trunks. This situation also caused damage to the infrastructure when a large tree's roots were blown off, breaking the sidewalk structure".
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper reporter, Mr. Luong Xuan Duong - Chairman of Ngoc Ha Ward People's Committee - confirmed that the ward has grasped the situation and concerns of the people. He said that these are ancient trees that have been leaning for a long time, not due to the impact of recent storms.
"Ancient trees have been growing since ancient times. Previously, the old Ba Dinh District also issued a document requesting the Department of Construction to direct the Green Tree Park Company to cut it, because the trees on this street are under the management of the department" - Mr. Duong informed.
According to the Chairman of Ngoc Ha Ward People's Committee, the authority to prune, relocate or cut down trees on main streets does not belong to wards or districts but is managed by the Hanoi Department of Construction.
To ensure the safety of people during the storm season, Mr. Duong said: "The ward will continue to issue documents requesting the Hanoi Department of Construction to have a plan to prune and relocate such trees to ensure safety".
While people face the risk of accidents from leaning trees every day, the local government, although well aware of the situation, still has to wait for the decision from the competent authority. The rainy and stormy season has arrived, the safety of people on Doi Can Street now depends on the speed of the response of Hanoi City authorities.
