KUCHING, Sept 20 ― A total of 1,037 schools in 20 districts affected by the worsening haze situation in Sarawak were ordered to close today.

The state education department said the closure involved 136 secondary schools and 901 primary schools, affecting 325,391 students.

Meanwhile, the state disaster management (JPBN) secretariat in a statement said as of 8am today, Sri Aman recorded hazardous Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 402.

Four areas in the state also recorded very unhealthy air quality, namely, Kuching (248), Samarahan (218), Sibu (202) and Sarikei (234).

The other five areas recorded moderate API readings are Samalaju (100), ILP Miri (91), SK Baram (87), Kapit (97) and Limbang (76).

Today, the cloud seeding operation will be carried out with the help of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Charlie 130 Hercules aircraft.

An API between zero and 50 indicates good air quality; 51 and 100, moderate; 101 and 200, unhealthy; 201 and 300, very unhealthy and 300 and above, hazardous.

For the latest information on the haze and related matters, refer to the Bernama portal at www.bernama.com. ― Bernama