At a regular government meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told authorities in the two cities and at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment: "[We] must not let the public complain without proposing an effective solution." Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh said the two cities plan to install more air quality monitoring stations so that they could issue timely pollution warnings. A comprehensive national plan of action for improving air quality is being implemented, including building polilies and adopting specific measures to reduce the sources of superfine particles. "The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and localities will substantially implement this plan to improve the air quality in Hanoi and HCMC." He dismissed popular foreign air quality monitoring websites such as AirVisual, saying since they collect data from stations that might not be standardized their data should only be used for reference. He … [Read more...] about PM Phuc wants Hanoi, HCMC to do more to tackle air pollution
Environment
Hanoi to include air quality in weather forecasts next year
As planned, Hanoi will add 33 air monitoring stations next year, raising the total to 44. It will also require industrial parks and factories across the city to install their own stations. All data collected from the stations will go to the environment department, which will make the air quality predictions, Luu Thi Thanh Chi, deputy head of the department, said at a conference on air pollution held in Hanoi Friday. So far, the department has provided air quality information on the website moitruongthudo.vn, with updates of the air quality index every day and in coming days, the index is expected to be updated every hour. The air quality in Hanoi has gone from bad to worse in recent weeks with the capital consistently topping the list of cities with the worst air quality in the world among more than 10,000 monitored by the app IQAir AirVisual. The city of 7.5 million has around seven million vehicles, with two million more coming in from other places every day, creating severe traffic … [Read more...] about Hanoi to include air quality in weather forecasts next year
Don’t consume Da River water, authorities warn Hanoi residents
The warning follows a finding that the water, contaminated by used oil, contained high levels of styrene, a substance that is probably carcinogenic. People can use the water for other purposes like washing clothes and bathing, but should not drink or use it for cooking, authorities said Tuesday. Nguyen Van Ton, director of the Vinaconex Water Supply Joint Stock Company (Viwasupco), had said Monday that the water it supplies to Hanoi "meets standards" and "contains no toxin" despite oil contamination warnings. He said they detected the contamination last Wednesday and immediately hired people to clean it up and informed local authorities, including the police of northern Hoa Binh Province, about the situation. A test performed by the company revealed that the contaminated water’s quality was within safety standards set by the Ministry of Health, he added. The company hired about 50 people to take the oil out of the canals that divert water into its factory, but one of them … [Read more...] about Don’t consume Da River water, authorities warn Hanoi residents
Don’t use Da River water, Hanoi authorities warn residents
The warning follows a finding that the water, contaminated by used oil, contained high levels of styrene, a substance that is probably carcinogenic. People can use the water for other purposes like washing clothes and bathing, but should not drink or use it for cooking, authorities said Tuesday. Nguyen Van Ton, director of the Vinaconex Water Supply Joint Stock Company (Viwasupco), had said Monday that the water it supplies to Hanoi "meets standards" and "contains no toxin" despite oil contamination warnings. He said they detected the contamination last Wednesday and immediately hired people to clean it up and informed local authorities, including the police of northern Hoa Binh Province, about the situation. A test performed by the company revealed that the contaminated water’s quality was within safety standards set by the Ministry of Health, he added. The company hired about 50 people to take the oil out of the canals that divert water into its factory, but one of them … [Read more...] about Don’t use Da River water, Hanoi authorities warn residents
Tap water unsafe, Hanoians warned
The warning came just a day after a company insisted its water supply was safe for human consumption. Tests have found that the water, contaminated by used oil, contained high levels of styrene, a substance that is probably carcinogenic. People can use the water for other purposes like washing clothes and bathing, but should not drink or use it for cooking, authorities said Tuesday. Nguyen Van Ton, director of the Vinaconex Water Supply Joint Stock Company (Viwasupco), had said Monday that the water it supplies to Hanoi "meets standards" and "contains no toxin" despite oil contamination warnings. He said they detected the contamination last Wednesday and immediately hired people to clean it up and informed local authorities, including the police of northern Hoa Binh Province, about the situation. A test performed by the company revealed that the contaminated water’s quality was within safety standards set by the Ministry of Health, he added. The company hired about 50 … [Read more...] about Tap water unsafe, Hanoians warned
