By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 25: Kuching City’s skyline is shrouded in haze today, with the Air Pollutant Index (API) nearing the unhealthy threshold.
As of 12pm, Kuching recorded the highest API reading in Sarawak at 98, followed by Sri Aman (95) and Mukah (92).
Although still categorised as moderate, these levels signal deteriorating air quality. Samarahan (89) and Bintulu (83) followed, while other areas in the State reported readings between 78 and 61.
API readings between 51 and 100 are considered moderate and generally safe for the public, though individuals in sensitive groups may experience health effects.
Malaysia employs a five-category API to categorise air quality. Hazardous levels are readings above 300, while 201 to 300 is considered very unhealthy; 101-200 is unhealthy; 51-100 is moderate and everything below 50 is good.
Meanwhile, it was reported that a massive wildfire is spreading through forested areas in Mukah, believed to have ignited last night (July 24).
According to Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Sarawak, firefighting teams are struggling to reach the affected sites due to inaccessible terrain and lack of road access.
On July 21, the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) warned of worsening air quality in Sarawak, citing a steady rise in API readings since July 19.
The agency also cautioned of a potential transboundary haze event due to a growing number of hotspots in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Between July 14 and 20, the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) detected four hotspots in Sarawak. However, 114 hotspots were reported in Kalimantan over the same period, with 93 appearing between July 19 and 20 alone.
In response, NREB has activated its haze operations room, suspended the issuance of open burning permits, intensified field patrols, and issued warnings to developers. Public awareness campaigns are also being rolled out to mitigate the risks of haze-related impacts. — DayakDaily
