Hanoi air pollution goes from very bad to much worse

By Giang Huy, Gia Chinh   September 30, 2019 | 02:02 am PT
The air pollution index soared to stratospheric levels in Hanoi on Monday and photos captured the smog that has blanketed the capital city.
At 8 a.m. on Monday, a bird view shows Hanoi sky chokes on haze, disfiguring buildings.A couple of hours earlier, AirVisual recorded Hanoi’s air quality index (AQI) at 385 at 4 a.m. - the highest level the city has witnessed this month. From mid this month until recently, the AQIs of Hanoi and several other parts in northern Vietnam have stayed in the 151-200 range.AirVisual measures Hanois air quality based on 10 monitoring stations run by Hanoi authorities and four by non-profit organizations.However, this result is vastly different compared to the AQI recorded by the automatic monitoring systems in Hanoi installed at various spots, showing AQI ranging from 147 – 162.

At 8 a.m. on Monday, a bird’s eye view shows smog giving Hanoi the look of a ghost city.

Hours earlier, at 4 a.m., AirVisual recorded Hanoi’s air quality index (AQI) at 385 - the highest level the city has witnessed this month.

AirVisual measures Hanoi's air quality based on 10 monitoring stations run by Hanoi authorities and four by non-profit organizations.

However, this result is vastly different compared to the AQI recorded by the automatic monitoring systems in Hanoi installed at various spots, which ranged from 147 – 162.

AirVisual shows the AQI of Nguyen Chi Thanh Street stood at 302 at 8 a.m. this morning but by a monitoring station on Thanh Cong Street (1.2 km away), its 150.The AQI, a metric used by multiple governmental agencies to determine how polluted the air is, ranges from 0 to 500, where high index values indicate higher levels of air pollution and higher potential for adverse health effects. An AQI level above 100 is considered polluted or unhealthy for humans. Children, seniors and individuals with respiratory and heart diseases are recommended to avoid sustained and high-intensity outdoor exercises when AQI levels reach 150 or above.

AirVisual showed the AQI on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street at 302 at 8 a.m., but Hanoi's monitoring station on Thanh Cong Street (1.2 km away) had it at 150.

The AQI, a metric used by multiple governmental agencies to determine how polluted the air is, ranges from 0 to 500, where high index values indicate higher levels of air pollution and higher potential for adverse health effects. Children, seniors and individuals with respiratory and heart diseases are recommended to avoid sustained and high-intensity outdoor exercises when AQI levels reach 150 or above.

According to the Vietnam-based PamAir that also does environmental monitoring, Pham Hung Street index stood at 201 at 7 a.m. Meanwhile, another monitoring system oh Hanoi shows the AQI of My Dinh (1.8 km from Pham Hung) was at 114.

According to the Vietnam-based PamAir, another environment monitoring, the index on Pham Hung Street stood at 201 at 7 a.m. Meanwhile, another monitoring system of Hanoi showed the AQI in My Dinh (1.8 km from Pham Hung) at 114.

Buildings are blurred by the smog in Long Bien bridge area at 8 a.m. on Monday.

Over the Red River and the historic Long Bien Bridge, the landscape wore a hazy look at 8 a.m. Monday.

The West Lake area in Tay Ho District suffers the same blurry vision at 9 a.m. The AQI was 250, according to AirVisual.

The smog looked no better at the West Lake area in Tay Ho District at around 9 a.m. The AQI was 250, according to AirVisual.

Hanoi authorities have pointed fingers to the large number of vehicles in the city’s central area as one of the main causes of air pollution.They also said it was because of a seasonal transition and a periodical episode - The city is in the transition from summer to fall and then winter. Therefore this is just a periodical phenomenon that happens every year, said officials of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Hanoi authorities have pointed fingers at the large number of vehicles in the city’s central area as one of the main causes of air pollution.

They have also attributed it to a seasonal transition and termed it a periodical episode, as the city is in the transition from summer to fall and then winter.

Urbanization with many constructions in the city has also caused the low quality of Hanoi’s air. Sai Doi Street, Nam Tu Liem District is among them where citizens have been exposed to dust for many months due to construction works undertake on both sides.Last Friday morning, Hanoi took the top spot for the city with worst air quality in the world in a ranking of more than 10,000 cities worldwide, when its AQI stood at 175. The evening before that, the index was over 200.Many residents have voiced their concern, urging the city to take action.

The rapid pace of urbanization, with many constructions proceeding apace, has not helped with the matter. The above picture was taken on Sai Doi Street in Nam Tu Liem District on Monday morning. Locals have been exposed to dust for many months.

Many residents have voiced their concern, urging the city to take action, instead of offering excuses for worsening air pollution.

 
 
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