GEORGE TOWN, Sept 18 — The Penang government hopes the worsening haze in the state will compel the Federal government to consider carrying out cloud seeding operations here, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.

He said as cloud seeding comes under the purview of the Federal government, it would be up to them to either proceed with the operation or otherwise.

"If it gets any worse, I think it will be needed, and I hope it will be done in Penang so that the situation does not deteriorate,” he told a press conference here.

He said the haze, which caused the Air Pollutant Index (API) to breach the very unhealthy level mark at over 200 on the island side today, is also causing limited visibility and has disrupted six inbound flights so far.

The flights involved were four passenger aircrafts and two freighter planes which had to be diverted either to Kuala Lumpur, Kualanamu in Medan (Indonesia) and Langkawi, after visibility distance dropped to only 1.5 kilometres, he added. — Bernama