Hanoi’s air pollution ranks second worst globally, with PM2.5 levels far exceeding WHO limits, prompting health warnings and limited official action
HANOI: Toxic smog has blanketed Vietnam’s capital for more than a week, blotting out the skyline and leaving residents wheezing.
The city of nine million ranked second only to New Delhi on IQAir’s ranking of the world’s most polluted cities on Thursday morning.
Levels of PM2.5 pollutants were vastly higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended daily exposure limit.
“I have experienced difficulty in breathing out on the streets these days,” resident Dang Thuy told AFP.
She added she had bought two new air purifiers for her apartment due to the poor air quality.
Hanoi authorities urged people to limit time outdoors and said schools can close if the situation deteriorates.
An administrative order instructed officials to crack down on illegal waste burning and control dust at construction sites.
The order specified measures including covering trucks and spraying water to keep particles from becoming airborne.
However, AFP reporters observed construction sites operating normally, with trucks arriving and departing without the required coverings.
“Authorities have been quite active on paper only. Nothing has worked yet and the terribly toxic air remains in our city,” said Thuy.
Experts say pollution in Hanoi results from widespread construction and emissions from motorbikes and cars.
Emissions from coal plants to the north and agricultural burning further exacerbate the problem.
Authorities have announced plans to ban gas motorbikes from central Hanoi during certain hours starting in July 2026. – AFP
