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Along both sides of Street No. 3 in Ward 10, Go Vap District, rows of African mahogany trees, standing 8-10 meters tall each, have been fitted with steel frames to keep them balanced and prevent them from toppling over in strong winds.
Each tree has four steel bars screwed into a circular iron ring.
According to local residents, the trees were fitted with these iron rings and fixed frames a few years ago. Over time, the unit responsible of taking care of them did not loosen the rings, causing the trunks to become constricted as the trees grew.
Over 30 trees have been tightly constricted by these rings. In some cases, the rings have embedded deeply into the trunks, which have diameters of about 30 cm.
At the points strangled by the rings, the tree trunks have dried out, become damaged, and had their outer bark peeled off.
Approximately 3 km away, many trees on Phan Van Tri and Nguyen Thai Son streets have had their bases encased in concrete, leaving no space for surface water absorption.
On the sidewalks, many trees have been compressed by concrete blocks and tiles, causing the bases to bulge and become unbalanced.
Similarly, some large trees on Tran Quang Khai and Dinh Tien Hoang streets in District 1 have had their bases encased in cement, turning them into spots for garbage disposal.
On Wednesday morning, workers from the HCMC Greenery Park Co.,Ltd. used crowbars to break away the concrete encasing the bases of numerous trees on Nguyen Thai Son Street.
Many trees that were tightly bound by two slabs were also released to allow space for growth. After removing the concrete, the tree bases revealed swollen, deformed trunks due to prolonged constriction.
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A worker from the HCMC Greenery Park Co. Ltd uses a crowbar to break away the concrete encasing the bases of numerous trees on Nguyen Thai Son Street in Go Vap District. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van |
Last year, 30 Indian trumpet trees on Truong Son Street in Tan Binh District also had their bases encased in concrete to prevent rainwater erosion and to deter residents from littering or allowing their pets to defecate there.
This caused abnormal growth at the bases, prompting the responsible unit to break away the concrete.
