HN, HCMC urged to make comprehensive air quality assessment

Illustration photo

Deputy PM Dung asked the People’s Committees of Ha Noi and HCMC to research and make comprehensive air quality assessment; implement measures to reduce environmental polluters; and craft plans and roadmaps to move dangerous and poisonous production sites out of urban areas; reduce traffic congestion; install environmental monitoring stations; and perfect the environmental information network in order to recommend people on air quality. 

Earlier, on December 19, the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment, the Office of the Government, relevant ministries and sectors convened a meeting to figure out reasons and seek short-term and long-term measures to handle air pollution in Ha Noi and HCMC.  

In Hanoi and some provinces in the North, dust pollution during the winter time is higher than other seasons of the year. This is a common phenomenon in many years and is a rule, fine dust pollution increases in December and January, when the weather is dry, the humidity in the air is low, especially at the time before the cold waves coming from the north.

The large gap between day and night temperature cause a difference in temperature at ground level in comparison to higher altitudes, creating an inversion. It makes air pollutants, especially the PM2.5 fine dust stuck at the lower altitudes, slowly worsening the air quality and damaging population.

City authorities have also blamed the low air quality on large-scale construction, high rate of individual vehicles and heavy industry activities, such as steelworks, cement factories and coal-fired plants./.

By Kim Anh