An emergency has been declared in Sarawak’s Serian Division after its Air Pollutant Index reached 521 amid hazardous haze conditions.
PETALING JAYA: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim has consented to the declaration of an emergency throughout the Serian Division in Sarawak following hazardous levels of air pollution caused by the haze.
In a statement today, the Prime Minister’s Office said the decision was made after taking into consideration the advice of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and relevant agencies on the air quality in the affected area.
It said the declaration would enable more effective measures to be taken to protect the health and welfare of residents affected by the haze.
“The Government will continue to monitor developments from time to time and ensure all necessary measures are implemented promptly, including mitigation measures as well as the dissemination of information and health advice to the public.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said the government would continue to closely monitor the situation and take further action as necessary to safeguard public health and safety.
Earlier, Anwar said the Federal Government was in discussions with the Sarawak Government on measures to address the situation, including the possibility of declaring an emergency.
Anwar said he had been in contact with Abang Johari over the past two days, adding that authorities were prepared to take all necessary measures to protect residents.
These included the possible closure of schools and offices, while essential security agencies would continue operating.
The government was also considering cloud seeding and other measures to reduce the impact of the haze.
As of 2pm today, Serian recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 521, while Kuching was the only other location in the hazardous category, at 311.
Samarahan and Sri Aman recorded “very unhealthy” readings of 284 and 235 respectively.
Under the API classification, readings of 0 to 50 indicate good air quality, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and readings above 300 hazardous.
Readings exceeding 500 indicate extremely severe pollution and may prompt emergency action depending on the circumstances.
