Van Ly
Hanoi has felled around 2,000 trees along main streets, not 400 trees as the city has announced, heard the seminar held by People and Nature Reconciliation in coordination with the Center for Media in Educating Community.
Pham Ngoc Dang, vice chairman of the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment, described Hanoi’s plan to replace 6,700 trees as illegal. He cited Government Decree 64/2010 on management of green trees in urban areas as saying that only three kinds of trees could be felled without asking for permission: fallen trees, trees that are most likely to fall and trees that are within development projects.
The decree requires an environment impact assessment report on the felling of trees and a showing of photos about the current conditions of such trees, locations and reasons for felling. “The act of felling trees in Hanoi has gone against the law on environmental protection,” Dang said.
Professor Nguyen Lan Dung, chairman of the Vietnam Biology Association, said the plan to fell 6,700 trees in Hanoi has infringed not only Decree 64/2010 but also the law on the capital city that bans tree felling. This law also allows the residents in Hanoi to protect the trees in front of their homes.
According to Dang, the plan is not transparent.
Dung said it is necessary to hold those working out the plan responsible and that the Government should be in charge of inspecting the case.
Dang said the incident has also exposed the poor urban management of the city government.
Dr. Pho Duc Tung said replacing trees should be carefully studied.
Dung noted the kinds of trees Hanoi uses to replace the old trees are not suitable for weather conditions in Hanoi.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
