The Phnom Penh Municipal Department of Public Works and Transport (DPWT) plans to plant roughly 2,000 Thnorng trees on Thursday on both sides of Street 217 as a way to make the capital greener.
The trees will stretch 7km from the entrance of the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre to the Kour Srov roundabout in Dangkor district near the border of Kandal province.
The department’s head of plants and gardens Sam Samouth said on Tuesday the project was initiated by municipal governor Khuong Sreng and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Dangkor district authorities.
Samouth said the calf-sized trees will be planted on each side of the road about 8m apart.
“We plan to start planting Thnong trees on September 3 and we want public participation. We also call on the people to help take care of the trees we plant in front of their houses,” Samouth said.
District governor Kim Nhep declined to comment on Tuesday, but the Ministry of Information’s website quoted her as saying on Monday that she fully supported the project.
According to the website, she said planting trees can prevent residents’ encroachment on the roadside and improve the environment.
During an August 28 meeting at the municipal hall, Sreng instructed relevant agencies to introduce the project to residents along Street 217 and seek their cooperation in taking care of the trees.
He said officials must be careful before planting the trees and consider factors like the drainage system to avoid future problems.
Phnom Penh planted 15,000 trees along Samdech Techo Hun Sen Blvd in Meanchey and Dangkor districts last year.
In Tuol Kork district, 300 trees have been planted while 500 others have been planted in Kamboul district. At the base of the Chroy Changvar bridge on the west bank in Daun Penh district’s Srah Chak commune, there are 300 trees.
Throughout the capital, more than 50,000 trees have been planted.
