The burning of straw, plant byproducts and other waste on fields near airports produces smoke that affects visibility for pilots and poses a high risk to flight safety, said an official from Northern Airports Authority..

Many areas in the suburban Phuc Tho District in Hanoi have been covered in smoke caused by rice straw burning.

Road transport makes up 85 percent of total emissions, an overwhelming proportion over other segments.

Outlying districts in Hanoi have been badly affected by burning rice straw.

Expressways constructed at a cost of several trillions of dong have become staging grounds for serious safety violations, mainly due to drivers’ and local people’s ignorance of the roads’ design and signage,