Air conditioners will be installed at some schools near the construction site of the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam to prevent dust from entering classrooms.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the investor of the mammoth airport project, will provide VND300 million (US$12,834) to install the air conditioners, said the People’s Committee of Long Thanh District, where the airport is being developed.

The district has required the local education and training office to review and make a list of schools affected by the dust.

After the air conditioners are installed, windows and doors at these schools will be closed, protecting students and teachers from the dust.

The dust from the leveling of the site has affected teaching and learning activities at these schools.

The People’s Committee of Long Thanh District is also counting the number of households hit by the dust as required by the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The department earlier warned of the pollution caused by the dust from the construction site of the airport project and asked the ACV to take strict measures to protect the environment and prevent an impact on the health and daily life of locals.

However, the air quality has yet to improve, sparking public concerns.

Many foreign direct investment enterprises in the nearby Loc An – Binh Son Industrial Park also complained about such dust, saying that it has affected their products and workers’ health.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will issue conclusions on the ACV’s compliance with regulations on environmental protection during the execution of the airport project this month.

The dust has spread far and wide, affecting many communes and towns in Long Thanh District as the ACV did not spray water sufficiently, according to the ministry.

On a construction area of over 2,500 hectares, many vehicles have traveled frequently and fast, resulting in the dust spread.

The ACV built more reservoirs and mobilized fire trucks to spray water at the construction site.

More than 2,600 workers along with 1,860 pieces of machinery are working to build the foundation of the airport project.

The Long Thanh International Airport project, some 40 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, will span an area of 5,000 hectares of land in Binh Son Commune, Long Thanh District upon completion.

The airport, a key national project, carries a price tag of over VND336.6 trillion ($14.4 billion) and has an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo.

The first phase of the airport project, which can handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year, is slated for completion in 2025.

The airport project, which got off the ground in 2021, is expected to ease pressure on the overcrowded Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

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