From as early as 5 a.m., thick smog enveloped the city, severely limiting visibility. In the Saigon River area, several prominent landmarks and structures, including the Bitexco Financial Tower and Ba Son Bridge, were noticeably obscured.
Residents were seen traveling cautiously along To Huu Street in the Thu Thiem urban area. One resident, identified as Quoc Trung, expressed concern, saying, “Towards the end of the year, foggy weather is quite common, but today it has not cleared even by 9 a.m. I hope it is not due to pollution.”
By 8 a.m. on Wednesday, the sun had risen, but the sky remained misty.
In response to growing concerns, the Department of Agriculture and Environment recently proposed installing 157 air quality monitoring stations across the city.
The department stated that the monitoring system is necessary to track pollution trends, provide early warnings of health risks, and support the formulation of emission control policies. The system is expected to supply continuous and reliable scientific data to assess air quality, measure the effectiveness of socio-economic development policies, and enhance emergency response capabilities, particularly during peak hours.
