By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 25: Serian recorded the highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading in Sarawak at 182 as of 2pm today, as haze pushed air quality into the unhealthy range across several parts of the state.
Department of Environment (DOE) deputy director-general (Development) Azuri Azizah Saedon said a total of 29 areas nationwide recorded unhealthy API readings, with Selangor reporting the highest number of affected areas at six.
She said the deterioration in air quality was detected mainly in states along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and several areas in Sarawak, following the movement of haze from various directions.
In Sarawak, Serian recorded the highest reading at 182, followed by Sri Aman (170), Kuching (160), Samarahan (156) and Sarikei (153).
In Selangor, Johan Setia recorded the highest reading at 173, followed by Shah Alam (162), Kuala Selangor (153), Petaling Jaya (152), Klang (151) and Banting (146).
In Perak, the affected areas were Tanjung Malim (157), Taiping (155), Tasek Ipoh (155), Pegoh Ipoh (153) and Seri Manjung (152), while Penang recorded unhealthy readings in Minden (156), Seberang Perai (152) and Balik Pulau (139).
Other areas with unhealthy API readings were Bukit Rambai (155) and Alor Gajah (152) in Melaka; Nilai (154) and Seremban (152) in Negeri Sembilan; Segamat, Batu Pahat and Tangkak in Johor (152 each); Putrajaya (155); Batu Muda, Kuala Lumpur (154); and Sungai Petani, Kedah (153).
Azuri Azizah said moderate to dense transboundary haze was detected in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, moving northwards towards western Sarawak.
“Light to moderate localised smoke plumes also originated from hotspots in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, the Riau Islands, and Bangka-Belitung Island,” she said in a statement today.
According to her, the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite imagery on Aug 24, detected 287 hotspots in Kalimantan, 65 in Sumatra and 11 in Malaysia.
Of the 11 hotspots detected in Malaysia, eight were in Sarawak, two in Johor and one in Selangor.
Several air quality monitoring stations in West Kalimantan, western Sarawak, western Peninsular Malaysia, and southern and central Sumatra also recorded air quality levels ranging from unhealthy to very unhealthy.
In response, the DOE has intensified enforcement and daily patrols in areas prone to open burning, while continuing to monitor API readings.
The National Open Burning Action Plan and National Haze Action Plan have also been activated to coordinate efforts by government agencies to address open burning and haze.
The measures include preparations by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to activate the Disaster Management Committee if API readings exceed 150 for more than 24 hours.
Other measures include suspending outdoor activities, closing schools and childcare centres, and conducting cloud seeding operations where necessary.
The public can monitor the latest API readings through the DOE’s APIMS website or the MyJAS EQMS application. — Bernama
