Milk flower trees on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street
A representative from Dong Da District People's Committee said that they had sent the proposal to the city leaders to reduce the density of the milk flower trees and replace them with other trees. The committee proposed to relocate the trees to local parks and flower gardens.
However, the municipal Department of Construction said that the trees could instead be moved to around the Nam Son Landfill in the outlying Soc Son District as Dong Da District already has enough of them. They hope that the flower fragrance would help reduce the stink from the smell in Nam Son Landfill there.Earlier, Hanoi also relocated 108 milk flower trees from near the West Lake to the 157-hectare landfill in Soc Son District because of their overpowering fragrance.
Many people in some central districts have complained that the trees produce too much fragrance and their roots affect the roads and pavements around them.
Nguyen Thi Tam, 58, said that she and her husband had to leave their house in Nguyen Chi Thanh District and come to live with their son's family in the suburbs whenever Autumn arrives. The woman explained that her house is surrounded by many milk flower trees and they get sick of their heavy fragrance.
"When the trees are in full bloom, I often feel dizzy and have nausea," she said. "My husband and I can’t sleep well."
Hanoi has around 6,000 milk flower trees and local authorities plan to relocate more trees in the coming time to distribute them more evenly throughout the city.
