At a ceremony held on June 20, the municipal People's Committee officially launched several modern sanitation solutions, including electric street sweepers, high-pressure cleaning trucks, smart vehicles for waste collection and sorting, monitoring systems, and source-based waste separation stations in Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, and Dong Da districts.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh emphasised that the capital remains committed to sustainable development and improving the quality of life for residents, with a particular focus on environmental hygiene.

"The application of modern science and technology in sanitation is a top priority. Today, we are putting into operation 100 vehicles and devices that either meet Euro 6 emissions standards or use electric energy, such as multifunctional vacuum sweepers, mist-spraying dust suppression vehicles, street washers, mobile compacting bins, and smart monitoring systems. These not only enhance work efficiency but also help reduce environmental pollution," Thanh said.

Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh speaks at the ceremony. Photo by Kinhtedothi.

He instructed the Department of Agriculture and Environment to regularly monitor the deployment and provide a comprehensive evaluation after one year. The findings will inform the city’s decision on whether to expand the use of these systems citywide by 2026.

According to reports at the event, Hanoi has already brought two major waste-to-energy plants, Soc Son and Seraphin, into operation, with a combined processing capacity of over 6,200 tonnes of waste per day and a total power output of 120MW. These facilities have largely addressed the city’s daily household waste.

Currently, six wastewater treatment plants are operational, bringing the treatment rate of domestic wastewater to approximately 30.9 percent. Upon the completion of the Yen Xa plant in 2025, the rate is expected to rise to 50 percent.

In terms of air quality, Hanoi faces emissions challenges from ten industrial zones, 318 craft villages, around 1.2 million cars and 7 million motorbikes, more than 70 per cent of which are over ten years old, operating daily. Additional contributors include construction activities and agricultural waste burning.

The city has launched a range of solutions to tackle air pollution: expanding green spaces, upgrading the monitoring network, employing advanced technologies for pollution control, defining low-emission zones, promoting green and electric vehicles, eliminating the use of honeycomb coal stoves, and cracking down on the burning of rice straw and agricultural by-products.