Hanoi ranks among world’s five most polluted cities
VOV.VN - Air quality in Hanoi deteriorated sharply on the morning of November 30, with multiple monitoring stations reporting air quality index (AQI) readings above 200, the city’s worst levels since the start of winter.
Data from global air quality monitoring platform IQAir showed that the Vietnamese capital ranked fifth among the world’s most polluted cities, with an average AQI of 225.
IQAir said Hanoi’s pollution levels were comparable to heavily polluted metros including Kolkata and Delhi in India, Tashkent in Uzbekistan, and Baghdad in Iraq. On the monitoring map, several areas, including Thanh Xuan, Le Duan, Tay Ho and Vinh Tuy, were marked dark red, with Tay Ho recording the highest reading at about 282.
At the monitoring station outside the Hanoi University of Science and Technology on Giai Phong Street, the AQI rose from around 150 on the evening of November 29 to about 210 at 7 a.m. on November 30, shifting into the “very unhealthy” category, indicating potential health impacts for the entire population.
Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment warned that Hanoi and neighboring provinces could be affected by a spell of air pollution in late November and early December, driven by unfavorable weather conditions such as temperature inversion, low wind speeds and fog, which limit the dispersion of airborne pollutants and allow PM2.5 concentrations to build up, potentially pushing AQI levels above 150.
To curb pollution and mitigate its impacts, the ministry has urged local authorities to step up street cleaning and dust-reduction measures, while assigning communal- and ward-level police forces to work with relevant agencies to increase patrols and crack down on illegal burning of household waste, rice straw and agricultural byproducts, particularly in border and roadside areas.
The ministry said unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite imagery would be used to monitor, detect open burning sites and major emission sources, with information and evidence forwarded to local authorities for prompt enforcement.
Hanoi records world’s second-worst air pollution today
VOV.VN - Air pollution in Hanoi showed no improvement on the morning of February 11, as the capital remained among the world's most polluted cities with an Air Quality Index (AQI) ranging from 151 to 200.
