Thang Long Avenue costs 53 billion VND each year for 'mowing grass and pruning trees'

“I just want to point out one thing that may startle many people, that is, just 24 km of Thang Long Avenue but one year just for cutting grass and a little oleander, a little hibiscus is 53 billion VND, which is unacceptable,” said Mr. Nguyen Duc Chung - Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee.

On the morning of August 15, Mr. Nguyen Duc Chung - Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee and the delegation of the City People's Council met with voters of Hoan Kiem district, reporting the results of the second session of the 15th Hanoi People's Council. Here, Mr. Nguyen Duc Chung clarified issues related to tree planting and pruning of flower gardens and ornamental plants.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Chung said that for the past 3 years, the city has implemented a policy of socializing tree planting. However, the nature of socialization is not private money, but still taking money from the city budget to order businesses to plant trees. According to the Chairman of Hanoi, it is this "ordering" that causes many companies to rush into planting trees, so they cannot control the quality. That is why the situation of trees being uprooted is happening.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Chung said that Hanoi will turn 98 hectares of land on Thang Long Avenue into... forest.

In front of voters, Mr. Nguyen Duc Chung informed that recently the city has decided to stop all pruning and planting of ornamental flowers in flower gardens in the area (leaving only some flower gardens around Hoan Kiem Lake and some important locations). This decision helps the city save about 700 billion VND per year.

“The city has recognized the problem and has asked all districts to stop this (planting ornamental trees) from July 1. I will just point out one thing that may startle many people, that is, just 24 km of Thang Long Avenue but one year just the money for cutting grass and a little oleander, a little hibiscus is 53 billion VND, which is unacceptable,” said the Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Chung also clearly stated that in the coming time, the city will turn 98 hectares of vacant land on Thang Long Avenue into a forest extending from Ba Vi to the National Convention Center. Specifically, Hanoi will plant about 45,000 trees on this avenue, initially planting about 20,000 oil palm trees in 4 rows. All the trees planted on Thang Long Avenue were donated by businesses.

“The tree company and some other companies have spent VND40 billion since the beginning of the year. Trees can last for hundreds of years, but pruning flowers is a waste. In other countries, people plant trees naturally to create landscapes, not as costly as we do,” the Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee added.

According to Dan Tri