People 'say goodbye' to Hanoi because of humidity

The article "No matter how much you love someone, if they are not compatible, you have to break up" by director Ninh Quang Truong about a humid day in Hanoi is receiving a lot of response.

"I love Hanoi but Hanoi doesn't love me," the director wrote, "The weather on humid days like today is terrible."

People who sympathize with director Ninh Quang Truong said that because of this type of weather, they and their family members have respiratory diseases. "The nose and throat are never normal. The house is sticky and sweaty. I don't know what to wear because the lack of sunlight makes my clothes always damp and smelly. My hair is greasy right after washing it," one person commented.

"Loving Hanoi is in my mind and heart, but my body and health, as well as many people's, do not allow me to maintain this love for long," the famous director expressed.

The humid weather prevented the smoke from dispersing and washing away, making the Hanoi sky gloomy on the morning of March 12 from the apartment of Mr. Ma Kien Nghi, in Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi. Photo: Ma Kien Nghi

In recent days, social networks have been filled with complaints from people in the capital about the humid weather. Above all, the most annoying thing about this type of weather is the health problems it causes. "I don't know where I've been, but as soon as I get back to Hanoi, I sneeze and sniffle, and after a few days, I have difficulty breathing. I've had an allergic reaction to my feet for years that hasn't gone away," said Dang Ha Anh, 49, a teacher at Thang Long Secondary School in Ba Dinh District.

Her father passed away from lung disease. Her mother has also suffered from nose and throat diseases for the past few years. The doctor said her asthma was life-threatening. Although she took medication and was careful in her daily life, it would come back after a few days and she was often required to be hospitalized.

In 2016, Ms. Ha Anh went to Korea for a three-month business trip and noticed that her skin and nose problems disappeared. It was then that she truly realized that the climate and living environment in Hanoi affected her health.

Not long after, a close friend chose Cam Lam, Khanh Hoa as her retirement destination, inspiring Ms. Anh to change her living environment. In 2022, her family left Hanoi and moved here.

Ms. Ha Anh (left) and her friend decided to retire together in the coastal area of ​​Nha Trang. Photo: Provided by the character

For a week now, the family of Mr. Ma Kien Nghi in Hai Ba Trung district has had to keep their doors and windows closed. The weather is humid and the air outside is polluted. Looking from the 19th floor of his apartment, whether in the morning or afternoon, all one sees is a thick gray.

"The biggest impact this weather has is sinus allergies, which are impossible to cure," said the man in his forties. His wife always has to keep an inhaler by her bedside all year round. As for him, his asthma makes it difficult to breathe whenever the weather changes, and is worst on humid days.

He is now at risk of having to undergo sinus surgery because his snoring causes sleep apnea. "This is the limit of my tolerance. Many times I thought, is it worth earning a lot of money to get medical treatment?", he shared. This time, he is seriously thinking about not staying in Hanoi anymore.

Master, Doctor Nguyen Khac Truong, Central Children's Hospital said that humid weather makes people more susceptible to respiratory infections. Diseases related to the upper and lower respiratory tracts are on the rise, such as sinusitis, otitis media, bronchitis. In recent days, the hospital has recorded a 30% increase in the number of patients coming for respiratory examinations.

According to him, dampness combined with air pollution will make the condition worse, possibly leading to pneumonia. "Both adults and children are negatively affected by this type of weather," the doctor said.

Dr. Hoang Duong Tung, Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network, said that Hanoi is experiencing relatively typical winter-spring weather in the North, with low temperatures, high humidity above 90%, and calm winds that prevent dust from being dispersed and washed away in the air, while human activities continue to occur, further increasing the level of air pollution.

High humidity also causes mold and bacteria to grow. All of these effects are seriously affecting human health.

Over the years, Dr. Tung has witnessed many people moving out of Hanoi due to their deteriorating health. "Behind the decisions to leave Hanoi is a strong desire to live in a clean atmosphere. I believe that if the problem of air pollution is solved, the wet season will be less severe," he said.

Mr. Le Quang Binh, coordinator of the network For a livable Hanoi, affirmed that the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, winter and the wet season are natural cycles that humans cannot change. But what humans can change are the factors that cause air pollution.

"People have to leave Hanoi because the damage caused by the climate and environment to their health has exceeded the benefits, love and attachment to the city they were born and raised in. This is a sign that we need to change," said Mr. Binh.

According to him, at the macro level, the city needs to preserve and expand the green area. Relocating industrial zones out of urban areas is the right policy, but instead of building commercial apartments, public utilities should be prioritized. Developing cultural and creative industries like Hanoi is doing is also the right direction, in addition to promoting energy conversion and improving the public transport network.

A native of Hanoi, Lam Nguyen, 40, is preparing for his second migration. In 2020, he left an urban area at the eastern gateway of the city for Dai Lai (Vinh Phuc), an hour’s drive away.

"I decided to leave Hanoi when I felt my health decline significantly, I woke up tired and had a heavy head. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with peripheral vertigo, a disease caused by the environment. Besides, allergic rhinitis tends to get worse in humid weather," he said.

At that time, he was a deputy head of a major university but still decided to quit to "leave the city for the forest". After three years of living here, his allergic rhinitis and other health problems improved. His son was healthier and no one in the family became F0 during the pandemic.

Mr. Lam decided to move further away from Hanoi. "In this cold and humid season, we still need to go somewhere else," he said, adding that he will move to Quy Nhon to live there for a while at the end of March.

Ms. Ha Anh also decided to settle down in Nha Trang after living here for a while and seeing her and her mother's health improve. "I originally planned to wait two more years before retiring, but my health problems have gotten worse over the past few days, so I will retire this summer," she said.

Director Ninh Quang Truong said it is difficult for him to leave Hanoi for many reasons, but there is one thing he can do right away to make the city more livable: "ride a bicycle, take public transport, and walk more."

Phan Duong

Source: https://vnexpress.net/nhung-nguoi-chia-tay-ha-noi-vi-nom-am-4722803.html