KUCHING, Aug 12 — The movement of south-west monsoon winds brought haze from hotspot areas in a neighbouring country to the state today, resulting in the deterioration of air quality, particularly in southern Sarawak.
A joint statement by controller of environmental quality Peggy Ronin Edin and Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) environmental control senior officer Marinni Khir said Malaysia is currently in the south-west monsoon phase, which is expected to continue until the middle of September, based on a forecast issued by the Meteorological Department.
“Normally, during this period, the country faces prolonged hot weather where most places tend to get higher number of days without rain over the number of rainy days.
“During this period, burning and hotspots are expected to occur easily. These hotspots are expected to spread easily if the dry weather is prolonged and could increase the risk of haze,” said the statement.
The statement said air quality is assessed using the air pollutant index (API) reading determined by the concentration of fine dust (2.5 microns), which is the dominant pollutant most of the time, especially during haze in Malaysia.
API readings of 0 to 50 indicate good air quality levels, 51 to 100 — moderate, 101 to 200 — unhealthy, 201 to 300 — very unhealthy, and 301 to 500 — hazardous.
The statement further said the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) detected as many as 185 hotspots in Kalimantan, Indonesia on August 8, 262 on August 9, 73 on August 10, and 99 on August 11, while there were five, 17, one, and two hotspots detected in Sarawak on the same dates.
“The API in Tebedu on August 9 recorded an unhealthy reading of 132. However, the API reading in Tebedu has shown a downward trend to moderate since August 11.
“Meanwhile, the API reading in other parts of Sarawak is at good to moderate levels,” said the statement.
NREB said it has activated its haze operations room, conducted field patrols, and stopped the issuance of open burning permits to ensure air quality is maintained.
“Nevertheless, all relevant government agencies and the public are advised to be jointly responsible in dealing with the cause and reducing the risk of haze.
“The public is also advised to take some measures when facing periods of hot and dry weather including drinking enough water and reducing outdoor activities and saving water use,” said the statement.
NREB also warned the public against causing air pollution.
Those convicted of open burning can be prosecuted under the provisions of Section 30(1)(a) and Section 30(2) of the Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance (Amendment 2019).
If found guilty, offenders may be fined up to RM100,000, or imprisoned for up to five years, or both.
The public can report any open burning to the nearest NREB office or send a WhatsApp message to the NREB Hotline on 013-7595866, or call 082-319543.
The confidentiality of the report is guaranteed by Section 38 of the Ordinance under for Protection of Whistle-blowers. — Borneo Post
