A number of beautiful old trees in the capital city are in the way of where a railway line is planned to be built.

They are in Kim Mã Street.

They will need to be moved, or cut down, for the railway line to be built.

HÀ NỘI - About 109 mahogany trees, 24 of which are old trees on Kim Mã Street (Hà Nội), will either be relocated or cut down to make way for the metro line Nhổn – Hà Nội Railway Station. 

The Management Board of Hà Nội Urban Railway project held a press conference today on the plan to relocate trees on Kim Mã Street to make way for the construction of the pilot urban railway No. 3, the Nhổn – Hà Nội Railway Station section.

According to the management board, the relocation will be carried out with trees that have been planted on Kim Mã’s pavement, specifically, the section from Voi Phục temple to 575 Kim Mã. The relocation process will begin this month and is expected to be completed within 90 days. BeePro Company is in charge of carrying out the plan.

The Board also said that the Hà Nội Construction Department had granted permission for the felling, pruning, and relocating of 109 trees on this street. Among them, 106 are healthy trees planted within the land clearance boundaries, three are ill and show signs of decay. Additionally, two trees that are dead will be felled. Also, one will need to be pruned because part of its branches hang over onto the construction site.

As per the plan, the departments will first relocate those mahogany trees with diameters smaller than 40cm, then move on to those with diameter larger than 40cm.

All trees will be relocated to a plant nursery for in Văn Giang, Hưng Yên province. After one year, these trees will be brought back and replanted on Hà Nội streets.

To date, the Hà Nội Department of Construction, the Management Board of Hà Nội urban railway, the People’s Committee of Ba Đình District, and the People’s Committee of Ngọc Khánh Ward have examined and verified the type, size, status, as well as treatments of all trees to be transplanted.

The tree relocation expenses will be paid by the project’s management board; however, the cost estimate has not yet been announced.

The urban railway No.3 - the section between Nhổn and the Hà Nội Railway Station - is about 12.5km long. The project’s total cost is expected to be US$1.18 billion. Construction began in September 2010 and is scheduled for completion in November 2018. - VNS

GLOSSARY

About 109 mahogany trees, 24 of which are old trees on Kim Mã Street (Hà Nội), will either be relocated or cut down to make way for the metro line Nhổn – Hà Nội Railway Station. 

If trees are relocated they are taken from place and placed in another place.

The Management Board of Hà Nội Urban Railway project held a press conference today on the plan to relocate trees on Kim Mã Street to make way for the construction of the pilot urban railway No. 3, the Nhổn – Hà Nội Railway Station section.

A press conference is a meeting where announcement is made to journalists who are then usually given the chance to ask questions.

A pilot project is a small project that is carried out. If it works, a bigger project like it may follow.

Urban means to do with a town or city.

The Board also said that the Hà Nội Construction Department had granted permission for the felling, pruning, and relocating of 109 trees on this street.

Felling of trees means the chopping down of trees.

Pruning a tree means cutting it back but not chopping it down.

Among them, 106 are healthy trees planted within the land clearance boundaries, three are ill and show signs of decay.

A boundary is a border. Land clearance boundaries are the borders of areas where land is being cleared of trees.

Decay means rotting.

Additionally, two trees that are dead will be felled. Also, one will need to be pruned because part of its branches hang over onto the construction site.

A construction site is an area where building is taking place.

As per the plan, the departments will first relocate those mahogany trees with diameters smaller than 40cm, then move on to those with diameter larger than 40cm.

“As per” means “according to”.

A diameter is the distance from one side of a circle to the other, passing through the centre. (The distance from the centre of a circle to the edge is called the radius.)

To date, the Hà Nội Department of Construction, the Management Board of Hà Nội urban railway, the People’s Committee of Ba Đình District, and the People’s Committee of Ngọc Khánh Ward have examined and verified the type, size, status, as well as treatments of all trees to be transplanted.

Examined means inspected very thoroughly.

Verified means confirmed.

If trees are transplanted they are taken out of the soil that holds them and placed in soil to hold them in another place.

The tree relocation expenses will be paid by the project’s management board; however, the cost estimate has not yet been announced.

Expenses are costs.

Construction began in September 2010 and is scheduled for completion in November 2018.

If construction is scheduled for completion in November 2018, it is planned to be finished by that time.

WORKSHEET

State whether the following sentences are true, or false:

1. The first mahogany trees to be moved will be those with a radius of 40cm.
2. Three of the one hundred and nine trees are rotten.
3. Văn Giang is in Hưng Yên province.
4. The railway project is planned to take nearly eight years.
5. The section of railway line planned between Nhổn and the Hà Nội Railway Station  is about 15.2km long.

ANSWERS:

1. False; 2. True; 3. True; 4. True; 5. False.