Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has called for urgent measures to cope with air pollution expected to affect capital Hanoi and neighboring northern provinces in late November and early December, Vietnam News Agency reported Wednesday.
According to data from the national environmental quality monitoring system and meteorological forecasts, the density of PM2.5, a key indicator of air pollution, is expected to rise in the next 10 days as the region faces adverse weather conditions that hinder pollutant dispersion.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) may exceed 150, an unhealthy level, the ministry warned.
Local authorities were urged to increase street cleaning measures, including using specialized vehicles to spray water and wash roads on major traffic routes and at urban gateways, especially during off-peak hours at night and in the early morning before 6 a.m. local time.
The ministry will also deploy unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite imagery to monitor and detect open-burning sites and major emission sources, with detected violations to be reported to local authorities.