Staff from the Hanoi Green Trees JSC take care of trees in the capital city. Growing more trees is one of the measures to improve the city’s air quality.(Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Airquality in Hanoi has seen improvement in the first four months of the year, butnot in all parts of the city.
Good air quality was recorded at the end of April and the beginning of May atmonitoring stations in the districts of Cau Giay, Dong Da and Hoang Mai,according to the Hanoi Environmental Protection Agency.
From 10 monitoring stations across the city, concentrations of harmful PM10 andPM2.5 matter decreased by 1.5 and 2 times respectively, compared to the periodfrom November to December 2017.
The air quality index (AQI), which measures daily air pollution, saw a drasticimprovement during the Reunification Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1)holidays, as well as during Lunar New Year holiday (February 16-21) compared toregular days due to lower traffic in the city.
However, bad air quality was still recorded at monitoring points near major roads,especially on Minh Khai street (part of National Route 32) and from Pham Van Dongstreet to Thang Long Bridge.
Particulate matter concentrations in these areas sometimes exceeded thepermitted level, while their AQI often remained around average.
Measurements of air pollution in a recent report from the Green Innovation andDevelopment Centre (GreenID), a Vietnamese not-for-profit organisation, havealso worried people. It categorised Hanoi’s air quality in the first threemonths of the year as “bad” for people’s health.
While the report somewhat reflects reality, officials from the HanoiEnvironmental Protection Agency said that those measurements do not representthe entire city because they were recorded near the Lang Ha-De La Thanhintersection where there is always heavy traffic.
Air quality in Hanoi is not as bad as what was written in the report, theysaid, adding that Vietnam’s official method of measuring AQI (issued by theMinistry of Environment and Natural Resources) is different to GreenID’s whichfollows the US’s environmental standards.
Amidst worries about the city’s air quality, environmental experts said thatthe city should try harder to get its observation data as accurate as it can inorder to make better forecasts.
Aware of this, Le Tuan Dinh, deputy director of the Hanoi Department ofEnvironment and Natural Resources, said that 70 more air monitoring stationswill be installed across the city in the coming time.
“The city is applying several measures to improve its air quality, includingreducing the number of motorbikes, limiting the use of honeycomb charcoalstoves for cooking, and growing more trees,” he said.
Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee on Monday, toldthe department to make public all information about the city’s air quality.
“We should keep people posted about the quality of air where they live on adaily basis, and highlight the reasons for it and solutions to improve it,” hesaid.
The capital city is going to hold a series of environmental protectionactivities in June in response to the Action Month on Environment and WorldEnvironment Day (June 5).
One notable event is a festival promoting sustainable living, which will takeplace on June 2 at Ly Thai To Park, near Hoan Kiem Lake.
Expected to attract 1,000 participants, it features games, exhibitions andactivities that focus on promoting the use of environmentally friendly energysources, recycling, waste collecting, and limiting plastic use.
On June 5, the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment willcollaborate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front to clean up roads, drains andsewers in Tri Thuy commune in the city’s outer district of Phu Xuyen. About 500participants are expected to take part in the activity.-VNA
Good air quality was recorded at the end of April and the beginning of May atmonitoring stations in the districts of Cau Giay, Dong Da and Hoang Mai,according to the Hanoi Environmental Protection Agency.
From 10 monitoring stations across the city, concentrations of harmful PM10 andPM2.5 matter decreased by 1.5 and 2 times respectively, compared to the periodfrom November to December 2017.
The air quality index (AQI), which measures daily air pollution, saw a drasticimprovement during the Reunification Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1)holidays, as well as during Lunar New Year holiday (February 16-21) compared toregular days due to lower traffic in the city.
However, bad air quality was still recorded at monitoring points near major roads,especially on Minh Khai street (part of National Route 32) and from Pham Van Dongstreet to Thang Long Bridge.
Particulate matter concentrations in these areas sometimes exceeded thepermitted level, while their AQI often remained around average.
Measurements of air pollution in a recent report from the Green Innovation andDevelopment Centre (GreenID), a Vietnamese not-for-profit organisation, havealso worried people. It categorised Hanoi’s air quality in the first threemonths of the year as “bad” for people’s health.
While the report somewhat reflects reality, officials from the HanoiEnvironmental Protection Agency said that those measurements do not representthe entire city because they were recorded near the Lang Ha-De La Thanhintersection where there is always heavy traffic.
Air quality in Hanoi is not as bad as what was written in the report, theysaid, adding that Vietnam’s official method of measuring AQI (issued by theMinistry of Environment and Natural Resources) is different to GreenID’s whichfollows the US’s environmental standards.
Amidst worries about the city’s air quality, environmental experts said thatthe city should try harder to get its observation data as accurate as it can inorder to make better forecasts.
Aware of this, Le Tuan Dinh, deputy director of the Hanoi Department ofEnvironment and Natural Resources, said that 70 more air monitoring stationswill be installed across the city in the coming time.
“The city is applying several measures to improve its air quality, includingreducing the number of motorbikes, limiting the use of honeycomb charcoalstoves for cooking, and growing more trees,” he said.
Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee on Monday, toldthe department to make public all information about the city’s air quality.
“We should keep people posted about the quality of air where they live on adaily basis, and highlight the reasons for it and solutions to improve it,” hesaid.
The capital city is going to hold a series of environmental protectionactivities in June in response to the Action Month on Environment and WorldEnvironment Day (June 5).
One notable event is a festival promoting sustainable living, which will takeplace on June 2 at Ly Thai To Park, near Hoan Kiem Lake.
Expected to attract 1,000 participants, it features games, exhibitions andactivities that focus on promoting the use of environmentally friendly energysources, recycling, waste collecting, and limiting plastic use.
On June 5, the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment willcollaborate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front to clean up roads, drains andsewers in Tri Thuy commune in the city’s outer district of Phu Xuyen. About 500participants are expected to take part in the activity.-VNA
VNA
