DOE says air quality has deteriorated with 10 of 11 unhealthy API areas in Sarawak, amid 425 hotspots detected in Kalimantan and Sumatra.
PUTRAJAYA: The country’s air quality continues to deteriorate as 11 areas recorded Air Pollutant Index (API) readings at unhealthy levels as of 6 pm today, with 10 of them in Sarawak.
Department of Environment (DOE) deputy director-general (Development) Azuri Azizah Saedon said the Serian district police headquarters (IPD) recorded the highest reading at 197, nearing the very unhealthy level (starting at a reading of 201), followed by Kuching (191) and Samarahan (178).
Other areas were Sri Aman (177), Sarikei (171), Sibu (160), Mukah (158), Bintulu (157), Samalaju (153), Miri (136), and another area recording unhealthy levels was Bukit Rambai, Melaka with an API reading of 152.
“The air quality in the country today has deteriorated with an increase in areas recording unhealthy Air Pollution Index (API) readings, particularly in Sarawak, due to the movement of smoke from various directions,” she said in a statement here today.
At 6 pm today, 57 areas recorded moderate air quality while no areas recorded good levels.
According to the report from the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) yesterday, 425 hotspots were detected in Kalimantan and 187 in Sumatra, compared to 15 hotspots in the country.
Azuri Azizah said that out of the total hotspots in the country, seven were detected in Sarawak, two each in Johor, Pahang and Terengganu, and one each in Kelantan and Melaka.
According to her, the ASMC Regional Haze Map released today shows dry weather occurring in the southern ASEAN region with clusters of hotspots detected in several areas of Kalimantan.
Moderate smoke plumes were observed in the central and southern parts of Sumatra. Moderate haze was also observed in the western part of Borneo,” she said.
Following the hot and dry weather conditions, Azuri Azizah said that the DOE is strengthening monitoring, prevention, and enforcement of open burning activities nationwide.
She said that 838 hotspots were monitored nationwide until August, while 4,147 ground patrols were carried out through the Open Burning Prevention Operation (OMPT), in addition to 640 drone flights.
She said that for the period from Jan 1 to Aug 18, the DOE investigated 6,603 cases of open burning detected through public complaints and hotspot detection using satellite imagery.
Meanwhile, Azuri Azizah said that actions related to haze will be implemented according to the National Haze Action Plan (PTJK) if the API readings continue to rise.
She also said that cloud-seeding operations (OPA) can also be carried out when the API exceeds 150 for more than 24 hours, subject to the presence of clouds and suitable weather conditions.
The DOE advises the public to continuously monitor the API readings and to avoid any open burning activities.
