Many areas in Hanoi were experiencing hazy skies around noon due to poor air quality on Monday, posing a significant threat to public health.

Cau Giay, Nam Tu Liem, Bac Tu Liem, Long Bien, Ha Dong, and Hoai Duc Districts were blanketed in thick fog.

Hanoi and other northern localities like Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, and Thai Nguyen Provinces suffered extremely bad air quality around noon, according to the website of the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s Pollution Control Department.

In the Vietnamese capital, air quality monitoring stations on Giai Phong Street in Hoang Mai District and Nguyen Van Cu Street in Long Bien District recorded a bad air quality index. 

The Pollution Control Department issued a warning about unhealthy air quality.

Nguyen Hoang Anh, deputy head of the environmental quality management division at the department told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in early November that Hanoi's air pollution primarily stems from transportation and industrial and construction activities.

She explained that many fossil-fuel-powered vehicles travel on the roads, while residential and public infrastructure projects, including road and sidewalk repairs and upgrades, often lack adequate dust control measures like site shielding, vehicle washing, and regular cleaning, contributing significantly to the air pollution.

The common practice of burning straw in rice fields, especially in suburban Hanoi, has exacerbated the air quality, she added.

The department has teamed up with many localities to find ways to handle the poor air quality over the past few years.

Do Duc Duy, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, told a conference on efforts in air pollution reduction held in Hanoi last week that environmental protection is the responsibility of the entire society.

Air quality control and monitoring are still a challenge, requiring cooperation from residents, the government, and organizations for a common purpose to lessen the severity of the air pollution.

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