Kota Kinabalu: Air Pollutant Index (API) readings at six monitoring stations in Sabah showed a drop as of 6pm Thursday compared to the same period on Wednesday, though four of the stations remained at an unhealthy level.
The most significant decrease was recorded in Sandakan, where the API dropped to 93 from 151 on Wednesday, returning it to the moderate level.
Politeknik Kota Kinabalu and Keningau both recorded drops, with the API reading at Politeknik Kota Kinabalu dropping to 156 from 176, while Keningau dropped to 153 from 174.
Kota Kinabalu recorded an API of 156 compared to 171 on Wednesday, while Kimanis dropped to 154 from 170 and Tawau also showed a decrease from an API of 103 on Wednesday to 98 Thursday evening, thereby returning to the moderate level.
The Sabah Department of Environment (DOE), in a statement Thursday, informed that no other major fire incidents were detected or reported around Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Papar, Beaufort, Sandakan, and Tawau based on reports from the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Sabah and open burning prevention patrols by the DOE.
According to the statement, reports from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) based on satellite imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 20 also showed that no hotspots were detected in Sabah on Wednesday.
However, a total of 780 active hotspots were detected in Kalimantan and another 142 in Sumatra based on observations on Sept 2.
The DOE stated that it remains fully prepared to step up enforcement actions and daily patrols in areas prone to open burning following the hot and dry weather conditions.
“To date, a total of 502 Open Burning Prevention Operation (OMPT) patrols have been carried out,” according to the statement.
The public is advised not to conduct open burning and to constantly monitor the latest API readings via the DOE website or the official MyJAS EQMS application.
