A survey on air pollution was carried out at hot spots in Hanoi on June 5 under the Swiss-Vietnamese Clean Air Programme (SVCAP) with the aim of working out measures to tackle the problem.

The survey, which was held in response to the World Environment Day, has showed that Hanoi’s air is heavily polluted, said Professor Pham Duy Hien, a SVCP officer.

Tests, conducted on 100 hot spots in the capital city and the surroundings, revealed that the level of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) content in many areas exceeds the permitted rates.

The highest level of SO2 content was found mostly in industrial zones and places of heavy traffic density.

The SVCAP, a joint initiative under a bilateral agreement between the governments of Vietnam and Switzerland, is aimed at preventing further degradation of air quality in Hanoi and the surroundings.

The Swiss government donated US$2.7 million to the US$2.9 million amount needed to implement the three-year first phase of the project, commencing in 2004. (VNA)