Handling of open burning of agricultural by-products causing air pollution

(Chinhphu.vn) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is coordinating with units to plan inspection and handling of outdoor burning of agricultural by-products, while also monitoring construction activities in large cities.

Burning agricultural by-products causes environmental pollution and air pollution.

On October 24, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment held a meeting to finalize the National Action Plan on pollution remediation and air quality management for the 2025-2030 period, with a vision to 2045, along with the progress of implementing urgent tasks to address air pollution in Hanoi .

Deputy Director of the Department of Environment Le Hoai Nam said that recently, the Department has coordinated with the People's Committee of Hanoi and neighboring localities to review and install air monitoring systems using sensor devices. Up to now, 67 automatic and continuous air monitoring devices have been installed in provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Hai Phong , Lang Son, Ninh Binh, Thai Nguyen and Hung Yen and transmit data directly to the national management system to control air pollution.

The Department of Environment has also coordinated to provide air quality forecast information for major cities, broadcast on the Vietnam Television News program. An air pollution forecasting model system for the greater Hanoi area with a 7-day forecast period has been established. Along with that, the work of controlling air pollution sources has been strengthened, especially construction activities, traffic and burning of agricultural by-products.

"The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is coordinating with units to plan inspections and handling of open burning of agricultural by-products, while also monitoring construction activities in major cities. National technical regulations on exhaust emissions from motorbikes and scooters have been completed and are ready for promulgation," said Mr. Le Hoai Nam.

At the meeting, the National Remote Sensing Department said that the unit had deployed drones to monitor some areas at risk of straw burning and discovered 14 areas with signs of direct burning or remaining traces of fire.

Due to weather conditions, burning activities this year have been sporadic, but are expected to increase in November. The Department is completing the application for an extension of flight operations to continue collecting data and to assess large construction projects.

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh acknowledged the efforts of the units in recent times, but said that the work to overcome air pollution has not yet met the Government's requirements. The Deputy Minister emphasized that the units need to focus on specific tasks assigned by the Government, promptly report progress and implementation results according to the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. The sharing and exchange of monitoring and forecasting data between units needs to be carefully reviewed to overcome current difficulties.

Early warning of "temperature inversion" phenomenon causing air pollution

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh also noted that forecasting air and water pollution needs to be linked to forecasting quantity and quality, considering the relationship between pollution spread and air flow.

According to Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh, weather phenomena such as temperature inversion cause pollutants to be "trapped" under a layer of hot air, creating a "glass dome" covering the urban area, preventing fine dust and toxic gases from escaping. Therefore, this phenomenon must be predicted at least 10 days in advance to implement measures to reduce emission sources and limit pollution levels before the weather becomes unfavorable.

The Deputy Minister requested the Department of Hydrometeorology and the Northern Environmental Monitoring Center to coordinate in building an early warning system for temperature inversion within 10 days.

"When this weather pattern is forecasted, the Ministry will issue a telegram requesting Hanoi and neighboring localities to deploy urgent measures such as zoning to limit emissions, controlling dust from construction sites, cement factories, incinerators and large sources of emissions in the wind direction. This is an important preparation step to achieve the goal of reducing PM2.5 fine dust concentration by 20% by 2030," the Deputy Minister noted.

Along with technical solutions, Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh particularly emphasized the role of the media in raising public awareness and creating social pressure on polluting behavior. The Deputy Minister suggested promoting propaganda work, coordinating with press agencies to regularly provide information on air quality, helping people to be more aware of the pollution situation and proactively protect their health.

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh affirmed that air pollution control is an interdisciplinary task, requiring close coordination between environmental, meteorological, remote sensing, agricultural agencies and especially the participation of local authorities. The Deputy Minister requested the Department of Environment to assign leaders in charge of communications, regularly provide information to the press and the community, and ensure monitoring and warning work is carried out continuously.

Thu Cuc

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/xu-ly-hoat-dong-dot-phe-phu-pham-nong-nghiep-ngoai-troi-gay-o-nhiem-khong-khi-102251024161256577.htm