During a nationwide hybrid meeting held on March 27 to discuss comprehensive and urgent solutions for air pollution management, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stressed the severity of air pollution in major cities, particularly Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

“We need to establish a national action plan to address air pollution, setting annual and five-year targets,” he emphasized.

Transportation and construction are major pollution sources

According to Le Cong Thanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment, air pollution in major urban areas, particularly in the northern economic hub (Hanoi) and the southern economic hub (Ho Chi Minh City), has been an escalating issue in recent years.

The largest sources of air pollution in urban areas stem from transportation activities, including road dust, emissions from old and poorly maintained vehicles, diesel trucks, and construction material transport - especially in Hanoi.

Other major contributors include industrial production (mainly building materials, cement, thermal power plants, and steel manufacturing), construction sites lacking dust control measures, and open burning of waste and straw.

Deputy Minister Thanh noted that key pollutants include road dust, PM10, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), with pollution levels peaking during the winter-spring months from October to April.

Urgent implementation of motorbike emissions testing

“We have laws in place, but without concrete and decisive actions, the situation will not change,” Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha concluded during the meeting.

He directed the Ministry of Construction to urgently review the legal conditions for implementing motorbike emissions testing and to establish regulations for handling non-compliant vehicles. Support should also be provided for vehicle owners to install emission reduction devices.

The Ministry of Construction is also responsible for tightening the monitoring of both residential and industrial construction projects, especially in urban areas.

The use of technology such as surveillance cameras to monitor vehicle movements at construction sites should be mandated, and strict penalties should be applied for violations.

National action plan for air pollution control

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the urgent need to develop a national action plan to combat severe air pollution in major cities.

He tasked the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment with leading efforts to conduct comprehensive evaluations of air pollution according to international standards nationwide and in each city.

Furthermore, relevant ministries must quickly develop and issue technical standards on air emissions for specific industries and sectors. Provinces and cities should also be permitted to adopt standards that match their local pollution conditions.

“There is no more time for endless discussions - we must take immediate action to improve air quality indicators as early as next month and the next quarter, to protect public health,” the Deputy Prime Minister urged.

The Vinh