Waiting for a solution to the problem of fine dust and "black rivers" in the capital

(Dan Tri) - The National Assembly is expected to hold a plenary discussion on supervising the implementation of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, in which voters await answers to two "hot spots": fine dust in big cities and pollution of the Nhue - Day River.

On October 28, the National Assembly will discuss in the hall the Report of the Supervisory Delegation and the draft Resolution of the National Assembly on the results of the thematic supervision of "the implementation of policies and laws on environmental protection since the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 took effect".

The report of the Monitoring Team, published on October 26, shows that the environmental picture of Vietnam after nearly 5 years of implementing the law has many positive changes, but there are still lingering "dark areas", in which the most prominent is the situation of air and river water pollution in large cities.

Environmental protection issues will be discussed at the National Assembly Hall on October 28 (Photo: QH).

Fine dust in Hanoi is among the highest in the world.

The monitoring report frankly pointed out the air pollution situation, especially fine dust (PM2.5) in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which at times exceeded the safe threshold, "negatively affecting people's health". At many times during the year, the AQI (air quality index, reflecting the level of air pollution) in Hanoi ranked among the most polluted cities in the world, making air quality the top concern of voters in the capital.

According to the plan to 2030, Vietnam aims to reduce the average annual PM2.5 dust concentration in Hanoi by 20% compared to the average level in 2024, while not allowing pollution levels to increase in other urban areas.

However, to achieve this goal, the report said it is necessary to soon implement the National Action Plan on Air for the 2025-2030 period, focusing on controlling emissions from traffic, construction, waste incineration and industrial activities.

The monitoring delegation requested relevant agencies to immediately implement urgent measures to control and overcome air pollution in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and at the same time speed up the completion of the automatic monitoring system and national environmental database.

Building online air quality maps that are publicly available to the community is considered an important solution to monitor and promote local government accountability.

Pollution of Nhue - Day River has not been thoroughly treated yet.

According to the Monitoring Team, environmental quality in some river sections concentrated in densely populated and production areas, especially in the Nhue - Day river basin and the Bac Hung Hai irrigation system, is slow to improve.

Wastewater from domestic, industrial and craft villages is still discharged directly into the river without being treated. Many sections of the river have become "wastewater channels", especially in the provinces of Ha Nam, Nam Dinh and Hanoi, causing thousands of households living along both banks to suffer from pollution, bad odors and affected water sources.

Although the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection clearly stipulates the responsibilities of authorities at all levels in controlling waste sources, the report shows that the target of 100% of seriously polluting facilities being treated before 2025 has not been met. By September 2025, the country still has 38/435 seriously polluting facilities that have not been thoroughly treated.

The monitoring team requested the Government to urgently complete the assessment of the carrying capacity and announce a plan to manage the surface water quality of inter-provincial river basins, while focusing on improving the environmental quality of seriously polluted river sections such as Ngu Huyen Khe, To Lich, and Bac Hung Hai. This is considered one of the urgent tasks to be completed before the end of 2026.

Request for action

Since the beginning of its term, the National Assembly has repeatedly included environmental issues in its thematic supervision program, demonstrating its determination not to trade the environment for growth.

This report is the basis for delegates to ask questions and request specific explanations from the Government about long-standing pollution hotspots.

The monitoring delegation recommended that the Government soon complete the mechanism of "environmental economicization", mobilize social resources through green bonds, carbon credits, and promote the circular economic model, reducing landfill waste to below 50% by 2030.

At the same time, it is necessary to resolutely eliminate polluting means of transport, promote green transformation in transportation, and thoroughly implement the "polluter pays" principle.

At this discussion session, many delegates are expected to raise questions about the responsibility of ministries, branches and localities in allowing serious pollution to occur, especially the slow implementation of wastewater and waste treatment planning and the failure to complete the targets for handling facilities causing serious environmental pollution.

In addition to the two hot spots of air and river pollution, the monitoring report also pointed out many other environmental problems such as urban waste, hazardous waste, pollution from livestock and cemeteries in some localities that have not been thoroughly treated - showing that there are still great challenges in environmental protection work today.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/thoi-su/cho-loi-giai-cho-van-de-bui-min-va-nhung-dong-song-den-o-thu-do-20251027210406601.htm