Measures sought to control pollution, improve air quality
Hanoi
(VNA) - A meeting was held in Hanoi on May 27 to discuss measures to control air pollution and improve air quality
in Vietnam’s major cities.
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
Vo Tuan Nhan stressed that management agencies need to clarify the causes of air
pollution.
According to the Vietnam Environment Administration, air pollution is becoming
more and more serious, especially in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
From last September to December, the hourly air quality index (AQI) in many areas
exceeded 200 and even reached 300 - the levels that are hazardous for the health.
To improve air quality and ensure community health, Nhan requested
the strengthening of operations at monitoring stations and drastically improving
measurement control and the use of official data sources to provide information
to communities.
Hanoi, HCM City, and other cities and provinces at high risk need to accelerate
the issuance and implementation of plans on public transport development and
encourage people to use public transport and electric and gas-engine vehicles, while
reducing the use of personal vehicles.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is responsible for completing
institutions and legal policies on environmental protection in 2020, building and promulgating technical standards on emissions and air quality, which
must be close to the standards of other countries around the world.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport must develop strategies, plans, and roadmaps
to increase the use of environmentally-friendly vehicles, trams, and public
transport networks.
It is necessary to identify solutions to prevent and minimize dust from the construction
of urban transport works, Nhan said.
The Ministry of Industry must direct and effectively manage the use of natural
resources and protect the environment in industrial and commercial production,
especially in preparing and approving planning.
Attention should be paid to controlling projects with significant emissions, which
are likely to cause high levels of environmental pollution, such as the fields
of coal thermoelectricity, petroleum, chemicals, steel, chemical fertilizers, mining,
and mineral processing.
The Ministry of Construction should assume responsibility for issuing a
Circular on environmental protection for construction activities; inspecting
and evaluating construction management and repairing and dismantling construction
works; and re-evaluating urban planning work./.