In order to deal with factors causing the air quality deterioration, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung on December 25 issued a directive specifying measures to ease air pollution which has made headlines recently.

Accordingly, the Hanoi Agency of Environmental Protection is asked to keep monitoring air quality and regularly make public the air quality index (AQI) on Hanoi’s newspapers, radio and television and web portals.

Severe air pollution in Hanoi

In case air pollution reaches hazardous levels (above 300), the Department of Natural Resources and Environment should notify schools so that they can arrange a suitable timetable for pupils. The Department of Health is tasked with advising the people on health protection measures, with special emphasis on ways to prevent respiratory diseases.

The Department of Construction is responsible for increasing the frequency street washing.

The Department of Transport and Hanoi police need to strengthen the enforcement of traffic regulations to reduce congestion during rush hours. All trucks with a tonnage of 1.5 tons or more are allowed to access the city’s area within Ring Road 3 only between 10:00pm and 6:00am.

The relevant units need to encourage people to actively respond and participate in environmental protection by saying no to straw burning or use of charcoal stoves, among others.

Hanoi’s residents should respond to the program of planting trees in the city launched by the Hanoi People's Committee, actively grow more trees to improve the environment.

The Hanoi government also encourages local residents to travel by public transport and refrain from using private vehicles, give priority to using vehicles running with clean fuels or renewable energy to reduce air pollution.

People can provide video and images of overloaded and means of transport which release dust and waste and run un-shielded to functional agencies for handling.

The relevant units need to inspect and detect projects, production facilities and construction works without being properly covered, dispersing materials, dust and causing environmental pollution for handling.