City branches out with green space scheme   In HCM City, a million trees have been planted on an area of 600ha in all 24 districts as part of a programme to increase the green cover.- Photo phunuonline HCM CITY (VNS)- In HCM City, a million trees have been planted on an area of 600ha in all 24 districts as part of a programme to increase the green cover. Authorities will also plant another 250,000 trees along rivers and canals to prevent erosion, 20ha of protective forests in Can Gio District, and 83ha of forests in Binh Chanh District. Under a plan to develop green space in 2013-15, they will use unused land available with industrial producers to create 250ha of parks in inner districts. The city will also improve existing parks and other green spaces. In recent years, trees, flowers, and grass have been planted along many streets to beautify them. It is due to this that Hoang Ha and Truong Sa, two streets along the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal, have become among the most beautiful in the city. Their pavements look like parks with trees, flowers, and the authorities have also installed simple equipment for people to exercise. Nguyen Thi Hien Luong, deputy director of the Department of Transport, said pavements on many streets in Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, and 10 have been given a face-lift since 2008. Thirty streets have seen green space increased and trees and creepers have been planted on 50,000sq.m of pavements and walls, she said. The department would continue to enlarge the green space around the city, she promised. Pavements that are 3-10 meters wide would see 1-2.5 meters earmarked for pedestrians and the rest used to plant trees and flowers, she said. Rapid urbanisation is one of the key causes of the serious decline in the city's green space, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The city now has around 80,000ha or 800 million square metres of green space, including forests and parks, it said. It has a population of nearly 10 million, including temporary residents. -VNS