By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Aug 21: Sarawak is ready to conduct cloud seeding once weather conditions are conducive, with sufficient cloud cover needed for the operation to be effective.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman, said the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) was prepared to carry out the operation at any time, provided the weather was suitable.
“I even spoke with the director-general of Nadma yesterday (Aug 20) to determine when they would be ready to conduct cloud seeding. The important thing is that there must be clouds. If there are no clouds, the salt will simply fall,” he said when met by the media after officiating the opening ceremony of the Borneo Animation and Games Festival (BagFest) 2026 at Pullman Hotel here today.
Uggah expressed hope that weather conditions would improve soon, allowing cloud seeding to proceed.
He also said Sarawak would raise the transboundary haze issue again through the Asean Transboundary Haze Committee. He said the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) had been directed to communicate with the Department of Environment (DOE) and convey the matter to the federal government.
He said the Asean mechanism would allow member states to discuss cooperation and possible measures to address transboundary haze.
Uggah said Sarawak was also strengthening its preparedness in Kuala Baram, particularly given the risk of fires spreading smoke across the border into Brunei when he briefed Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg on the measures being taken.
He said Kuala Baram has 12 tube wells that can provide water for firefighting, while agencies, landowners, and community groups are working with the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) and Resident’s Office to respond to fires.
NREB and DOE are also using drones to monitor hotspots, detect smoke early, and extinguish fires before they develop into larger outbreaks.
On the haze, Uggah urged the public to rely on official API readings issued by Sarawak authorities, saying different readings circulated yesterday had caused confusion.
He also advised the public to wear masks and avoid excessive outdoor exercise during periods of poor air quality.
Meanwhile, Uggah said declining dam and reservoir levels had become a concern amid the prolonged dry spell, with several areas also facing water shortages.
He said Sarawak Water, the Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID), and the Welfare Department had agreed that complaints about water shortages should receive a response within 12 hours, and reminded residents that they can report water shortages directly to the Resident or District Office without making a police report first.
At the same time, Uggah said El Niño was a natural phenomenon that could not be controlled, but the State government was doing its best to mitigate its impact and ease the difficulties Sarawakians face during the current dry conditions. — DayakDaily
