HANOI: Industrial plants in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi have come under renewed pressure to scale back their operations as authorities respond to a week of heavy and hazardous smog in the city.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health earlier this week urged power, steel and chemical plants to cut output when the air quality index (AQI) exceeds 200. The index gauges the volumes of hazardous small particles known as PM2.5 that are in the air.
The AQI hit 243 midday on Thursday (Dec 11), putting Hanoi fourth on the list of the world’s most-polluted cities, according to AirVisual, which provides independent global air pollution information via a phone app.
The city has topped the list on a number of occasions this week, according to the app, a position it also held in January.
The Southeast Asian country, a regional manufacturing hub which is urbanising rapidly, has been suffering from severe air pollution for years, especially in Hanoi.
“My eyes are itchy, and there’s always a blanket of smog that blocks my vision,” said Hanoi resident Pham Thu Giang, 30. “I have to wear a mask all the time.”
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