The section of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street through the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Culture Palace (Ben Thanh Ward, District 1) is a place with a row of many-year-old lim xet trees, creating a cool and comfortable green space in the heart of the city.
However, during the sidewalk renovation process, 8 lim xet trees were cut down and 9 others had their canopy cut off due to the root system being seriously damaged by construction machinery.
Small tamarind trees planted to replace them cannot completely compensate for the shade that previous tamarind trees brought.
Mr. Nguyen Van Binh (55 years old) - a long-time motorbike taxi driver in this area - shared: "Previously, I often parked my motorbike waiting for customers in front of Lao Dong Cultural Palace because of the shade from the big trees. Now the sun shines on my head and at my feet, the road surface is getting hot, I can't stand it, so I have to move to Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street".
According to Lao Dong reporters, during the sunny afternoon, many pedestrians were forced to sneak under the narrow shade of the building or the porch to avoid the sun. The road surface and sidewalk seem to be blown up by the heat, causing an uncomfortable feeling.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport said that during the construction of the sidewalk on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, the construction unit, Nam Viet Industry and Construction Company Limited, used motor vehicles to cut and destroy the roots of 17 citrus trees.
Of these, 8 trees (including 5 type 3 and 3 type 2) were forced to be cut down due to serious root damage, the remaining 9 trees had their canopy cut down.
Currently, the authorities are continuing to monitor the status of the remaining damaged trees to take appropriate measures.
Faced with this situation, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc has directed the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport to consider the responsibility of relevant units in constructing sidewalks that caused damage to the root system of 17 lim xet trees on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street.
Notably, according to the report of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, not only Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, there are currently dozens of roads in central and suburban districts such as District 1, 5, 6, 11, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, Phu Nhuan, Binh Thanh, Go Vap and Cu Chi District that are being upgraded with sidewalks, affecting about 2,143 trees.
Of which, 90 trees had to be cut down due to serious damage to the roots, at risk of falling during the storm, including 3 types of 1, 57 types of 2 and 30 types of 3.
In addition, hundreds of other trees have also had their branches trimmed to make the canopy light, reducing the risk of falling in the upcoming rainy season.
