KUCHING, July 20: Native farmers are still allowed to carry out slash and burn on their land for paddy planting even under the current hot and dry spell, revealed Natural Resources and Environmental Board (NREB) controller Peter Sawal.
However, he cautioned them to be extra careful to prevent the fires from raging out of control.
“Under the present hot and dry spell, we still allow our farmers who need to slash and burn their plot of land for paddy farming. But over and above all else, they must be extra careful because under the present weather condition, fire could easily rage out of control,” Sawal told DayakDaily today.
On the same subject, however, he warned against burning for plantation purposes as the government had stopped giving permits for such activities.
“Because of the current dry spell, which we predict will persist until end of September, all open burning activities for plantation purposes have been halted and the government has stopped giving any permit to carry out such activity,” he stressed.
As the weather pattern is predicted to be hot and dry over the next couple of months, Sawal advised the public to drink more water and refrain from outdoor activities, especially in the afternoon.
“There is an indication that we will experience extra heat wave that could be hazardous for health. So, everyone must take their own necessary measure in view of the heatwave,” he added. — DayakDaily
