Sarawak urges families to avoid outdoor activities as haze pushes API readings to hazardous levels, with Serian reaching 412
KUCHING: The public, particularly parents, have been urged to avoid outdoor physical activities during the school holidays to protect the health of their children and families amid deteriorating air quality caused by transboundary haze.
Sarawak Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh said precautionary and early preventive measures should be taken, particularly for high-risk groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with chronic illnesses and respiratory problems.
“This advice is not only for children, but for all of us, especially now that the Air Pollutant Index (API) has reached 300 to 400 (hazardous levels). We advise everyone to be cautious and also wear masks, especially those in high-risk groups.
“We strongly advise high-risk groups and the elderly to take the necessary measures or adopt the best approach to safeguard their health by wearing masks and reducing outdoor activities,” he said when met by reporters here today.
The public was also urged to stay alert to official announcements and daily API readings, while ensuring that exposure to air pollution is kept to a minimum throughout this critical period.
Len Talif, who is also Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) deputy chairman, said the upward trend in API readings was caused by hotspots in Kalimantan as well as dry weather conditions, which are expected to persist until the end of the year, putting Sarawak on alert.
“For the implementation of cloud seeding operations, as the state government announced previously, we will carry them out in early September. We are still assessing whether the process needs to be expedited by taking into account the current impact of the haze,” he said.
Air quality in several areas in Sarawak has deteriorated significantly, with Serian, Samarahan and Kuching recording hazardous API readings as of 12.30 pm today.
According to the Department of Environment’s (DOE) Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) portal, the API reading at the Serian district police headquarters (IPD) monitoring station reached 412, followed by Samarahan (332) and Kuching (304).
Sri Aman, meanwhile, recorded a very unhealthy API reading of 228.
