Air pollution levels in Hanoi are increasing.

Air pollution in Hanoi on the morning of December 1. Photo: Trang Anh

Continuously top world pollution

According to the reporter's records, for 3 consecutive days, from November 29 to December 1, Hanoi City experienced air pollution, the sky was hazy, and high-rise buildings were covered in a layer of white dust.

On December 1, early in the morning, many people could easily observe the pollution with the naked eye. The AQI pollution index at 7:30 a.m. was 212 - the purple threshold, very unhealthy.

Ms. Vu Thi Linh (Hanoi) said that in recent days, air pollution has clearly affected her health, often causing headaches and stuffy nose. Even though she wore a mask, when she went out on the morning of December 1, Ms. Linh still felt the air was stuffy and uncomfortable.

Following information on newspapers and social networks, Ms. Mai Anh (Hanoi) also proactively adjusted her daily schedule. She went out later, waiting until the sun was out and the fog cleared to reduce exposure to polluted air.

According to Dr. Dam Thi Tuyet - Hoe Nhai General Hospital, environmental pollution is one of the causes of respiratory diseases, bacteria from outside can easily enter the body.

“During times of high air pollution, people should limit going out and install air purifiers in their homes to protect their health,” shared Dr. Dam Thi Tuyet.

Identify causes and find solutions to reduce air pollution

Mr. Le Hoai Nam - Deputy Director of the Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment - said that monitoring results show that in Hanoi and some provinces in the Red River Delta, fine dust pollution is very complicated and at a high level.

In 2024, air pollution in Hanoi and some northern provinces is relatively bad. In the late 2024 period alone, Hanoi experienced 4 prolonged air pollution periods. Monitoring results show that fine dust pollution data in 2024 exceeded about 2 times and the number of days with poor air quality is quite high.

Talking about the causes of air pollution, Mr. Le Hoai Nam said that the first cause is emissions from industries, the second is emissions from the transportation industry, the third is emissions from the agricultural industry, the problem of burning household waste in localities and construction activities...

Regarding the issue of emissions from the transportation industry, recently, Hanoi City has decided to ban gasoline motorbikes in Ring Road 1 according to time frames/points and areas from July 1, 2026.

From July 1, 2026, a pilot low-emission zone will be applied in some areas within Ring Road 1 (including 9 wards: Hai Ba Trung, Cua Nam, Hoan Kiem, O Cho Dua, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam, Ba Dinh, Giang Vo, Ngoc Ha, Tay Ho).

From January 1, 2028, the city will implement a low-emission zone in Ring Road 1 and some areas in Ring Road 2 and beyond. From January 1, 2030, the city will implement a low-emission zone in Ring Road 3 and beyond.

This plan is expected to significantly improve emissions from traffic activities and contribute to reducing air pollution in the capital.

Mr. Hoang Duong Tung - Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network - said that in recent years, air pollution in Hanoi has become very serious, especially during the winter months.

According to him, Hanoi's roadmap to ban gasoline-powered motorbikes by the hour and by area, and to implement low-emission zones from 2026, is an appropriate step to gradually shift to green transportation.

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