The chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, Nguyen The Thao, decided on March 22 that the director and the deputy director of the municipal Department of Construction, who directly proposed and implemented the tree felling project, be criticised.
Thao has set up an interdisciplinary inspection group to conduct a comprehensive inspection over the implementation of the project. The group is headed by the municipal chief inspector and members come from the city’s police, the city’s Party Committee’s inspection and agitation departments, as well as many other local departments.
The group was given 30 days to report back to the People's Committee. Until then, no further trees would be cut down.
Thao asked the director of the municipal Department of Construction suspend many cadres who were directly involved in the implementation of the tree felling project, which was allegedly aimed at removing sick trees which might pose a risk to the public during intense storms.
Critics said the culling was haphazard, would damage the environment of already polluted Hanoi and scar the city's beauty.
Nguyen Quoc Hung, vice chairman of the city’s government, said there was “no negativity or group benefit” in the tree felling case.
Wood trunks
Wood gathered at stores in Nam Tu Liem District
Questions have also been raised about where revenue from the wood of already cut down trees was going.
Big trunks highly priced
The wood has been valued at VND25m and VND30m a cubic metre for logs of 70-80cm diameter, and VND7-8m a cubic metre for smaller diameters, said a furniture maker named Hung, in Nhi Khe Village of Thuong Tin District.
