Industrial plants in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi have come under renewed pressure to scale back their operations as authorities respond to a week of heavy and hazardous smog in the city.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health earlier this week urged power, steel and chemical plants to cut output when the air quality index exceeds 200. The index gauges the volumes of hazardous small particles known as PM2.5 that are in the air.
The air quality index (AQI) hit 243 midday on Thursday, putting Hanoi fourth on the list of the world’s most-polluted cities, according to AirVisual’s independent global air pollution data platform.
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The city has topped the list on a number of occasions this week, according to the monitor, a position it also held in January.
The Southeast Asian country, a regional manufacturing hub which is urbanising rapidly, has been suffering from severe air pollution for years, especially in Hanoi.
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“My eyes are itchy, and there’s always a blanket of smog that blocks my vision,” said Hanoi resident Pham Thu Giang, 30. “I have to wear a mask all the time.”