Smoke comes from the Hanoi Industrial Textile Company's factory.
Disillusionment with dream homes
Nguyen Anh Dung, 44, lives on the 10th floor of Sunshine Palace, an apartment complex facing the Hanoi Industrial Textile Company's factory. Despite having a spacious balcony filled with greenery, his family rarely opens their windows due to the pollution.
"When we bought this apartment in 2017, we noticed a slight smell of smoke but had no idea how severe the pollution was," he said. "Once we moved in, we realised that thick exhaust fumes, cotton dust, and black soot were everywhere."
Since then, Dung's family has had to undergo health check-ups every three months to monitor their respiratory system. They rely heavily on air purifiers and air conditioning to mitigate the pollution inside their home.
"Every weekend, we return to our hometown in Hung Yen Province to escape the polluted air," he added.
On the 11th floor, Nguyen Thanh Tinh shares the same frustration.
"Opening my balcony door feels suffocating because of the overwhelming smoke," she said. "My apartment is only a few hundred metres from the textile factory, and I can see its smokestack emitting fumes day and night. Black dust covers my balcony floor."
Nguyen Thanh Tinh's apartment is only a few hundred metres from the textile factory.
Her family uses four air purifiers to cope with the pollution.
"My young daughter suffers from recurring pneumonia. I want to move, but it takes time to arrange our finances," she added.
The issue is not limited to Sunshine Palace. Residents of New Horizon City, located 300 metres away at 87 Linh Nam Street, also endure thick air pollution.
Trinh Cong Thanh, 47, who lives on the 15th floor, held up the filter tray from his air purifier, revealing layers of blue and purple dust despite keeping his balcony doors shut.
Thanh bought his apartment for nearly VND 3 billion (USD120,000) in 2020. At the time, the factory had temporarily halted operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so he was unaware of the pollution problem.
"A burnt smell lingers throughout my home. Whenever I clean the vacuum cleaner, I find metallic purple cotton dust in the filter. We have no idea what chemicals are in it or how it affects our health," he said.
As the pollution worsened, many neighbours moved away. Thanh's family has also considered relocating, but soaring property prices in Hanoi make it difficult. Meanwhile, selling a home in this area has become increasingly challenging.
"We have submitted petitions everywhere, but nothing has been done," Thanh said. "All we can do is reinforce our home against pollution."
Long-delayed relocation
The Hanoi Industrial Textile Company, headquartered at 91-93 Linh Nam Street, was established 1967 as a state-owned enterprise. The company produces industrial fabrics for irrigation, transportation, construction, environmental projects, garment manufacturing, and footwear.
While other textile companies have been relocated from surrounding residential areas, this factory remains in operation.
In 2017, company representatives met with residents and pledged to relocate within three to five years. However, eight years have passed, and the factory is still in place.
Speaking to Dantri, Nguyen Hong Quan, head of the management board of the 87 Linh Nam apartment complex, said the textile factory continues to release cotton dust and smoke, severely affecting the health and well-being of 300 households.
"Many elderly people and young children suffer from respiratory diseases," Quan said.
The management board has urged authorities to intervene, demanding that the factory implement smoke filtration systems and switch to cleaner fuels to reduce pollution.