The Hanoi People's Committee issued a document asking the city’s departments to closely enforce measures to ensure environmental sanitation and reduce air pollution in the capital.Accordingly, Hanoi’s authority requested the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to keep updating accurately air quality assessment index at the air pollution monitoring stations on the city’s portal and the department’s website, so that all residents know how to minimize negative impacts on their health.
Air pollution in Hanoi is at high level. Photo: Internet
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The Hanoi Department of Transport is tasked to specify roads for trucks carrying construction waste and give authorization to those vehicles to ensure they operate according to schedule and traffic regulations and technical standards.
The Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is asked to promote the biogas technology and bio-composting technology application in animal husbandry to deal with environmental pollution in household and large-scale breeding facilities locating in residential areas.
The Hanoi Department of Health is requested to inform the city’s residents about air pollutants and the impact of air pollution on human health and advise people to use standard masks.
Meanwhile, the Hanoi Department of Information and Communications is tasked to encourage the people and social organizations to actively participate in environmental protection via communication activities.
Dr. Hoang Duong Tung, chairman of Vietnam Clean Air Network, former deputy head of the Administration of Environment under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said that poor air quality in Hanoi may be caused by many factors.
Fine dust (PM2.5) which is microscopic dust particles, smaller than 1/30 of a hair, penetrates human body through inhaling and directly affect people’s health, Tung said.
He noted that in Hanoi, the PM2.5 index is higher than the normal level, but other air pollution indicators such as CO, NO2, SO2, O3 are still at the permitted levels.
Regarding the cause for fine dust, Tung said that up to 60-70% of the fine dust is generated by means of transport, the rest is due to the bad management of construction works so dust from cement, steel, and chemical production factories in other provinces are blown to Hanoi. Fine dust is also formed by burning straw and garbage.
