How to control pollution from large construction sites in Hanoi?

Pollution sources from large construction sites

Since the beginning of 2025, Hanoi has been in a state of severe air pollution for many consecutive days. As the Lunar New Year approaches, the city has more and more urban renovation and repair projects, and many residents have also sped up construction to complete before the holiday.

According to statistics from the Hanoi People's Committee, the city currently has about 36 apartment building projects under construction and many traffic and housing projects under construction.

According to Lao Dong reporters, at a series of projects being implemented in the capital, pollution and dust from activities such as digging, demolishing buildings, and scattered construction materials have increased dust pollution in the surrounding environment.

At the Phung Khoang Lake Park project (Nam Tu Liem and Thanh Xuan districts), these days hundreds of workers and machines have been mobilized to renovate and build new items at this park.

Due to the construction progress being accelerated, the amount of dust generated here is dense.

Mr. Dinh Ngoc Luu (living on To Huu Street) said that if pedestrians just walk across the sidewalk in front of the construction site about 100m, their hair and clothes will be covered with white dust and they will not be able to breathe.

At the Kim Dong - Giai Phong tunnel project site (Hoang Mai district), many trucks covered with tarpaulins carrying construction materials for the project have been running around every time they pass through the roads around this area.

These mobile sand mountains often spill materials such as sand and gravel onto the roadbed before reaching the collection point. Sand and soil at the construction site are blown into the air by vehicles, even though the construction unit has arranged workers to clean it up regularly.

Meanwhile, at the La Khe canal hardening project (Ngo Quyen street, Ha Dong district, part of the project to improve the drainage system in the western area of ​​Hanoi), air quality was severely affected by the soil, rocks and sand flying from the construction site.

A stretch of road hundreds of meters long was covered with mud and dirt everywhere, forming large dust patches under the road surface. Every time a vehicle passed by, the dust would hit the pedestrians directly, greatly affecting their health and potentially causing a traffic accident.

People living around this area complain that if he doesn't clean it for just one day, a thick layer of dust will cover every corner inside and outside the house where he lives with his family.

"People should be allowed to take photos to reflect"

According to environmental experts, dust from construction sites is one of the main sources of air pollution in Hanoi. Of which, PM2.5 and PM10 fine dust from construction activities can cause serious harm to human health, especially respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Fine dust can also penetrate deep into the lungs and blood, causing serious health problems such as pneumonia, asthma and even cancer.

Construction sites and trucks carrying construction materials were not properly covered and water spraying to reduce dust was not fully implemented, leading to dust and mud being spread into the surrounding environment, contributing to serious air pollution.

Discussing solutions to overcome this situation, Dr. Hoang Duong Tung, Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network, said that construction projects should require project owners to install monitoring equipment, cameras and transmit image data to the Department of Construction and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

“It is difficult to monitor constructions or activities at night. Therefore, the role of local authorities and people in this monitoring stage, combined with increased inspections and allowing people to take photos to report, is necessary,” said Dr. Hoang Duong Tung.