Haze back in Penang and Sarawak, with air quality unhealthy in several areas
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Monitoring stations saw rapidly deteriorating air quality since the early hours of Sept 4.
PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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GEORGE TOWN - The haze is back in Malaysia, with the air quality index at unhealthy levels in some areas in Penang and Sarawak.
Air quality monitor IQ Air’s data shows the Tanjung Bungah monitoring stations near the Alila2 condominium and the Dalat International School posted air pollutant index (API) readings of 149 and 107 respectively.
This is categorised as “unhealthy” for sensitive groups.
On the mainland, the IQ Air station in Lorong Terinai, Bukit Tengah had an air quality index of 141 while Seberang Jaya recorded 129.
An API reading of zero to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 is moderate, and 101 to 200 is unhealthy.
All four stations saw rapidly deteriorating air quality since the early hours of Monday.
Hazy conditions also hit parts of east Malaysian state Sarawak with Sri Aman, Kuching and Serian recording unhealthy air quality on Monday.
At 9am Sri Aman recorded a reading of 154, the highest in the country, and this was followed by Kuching at 133 and Serian at 128.
Other parts of Sarawak recorded moderate API readings.
Sarawak’s Fire and Rescue Department advised locals to stop open burning to prevent the haze in the state from worsening.
Department director Khirudin Drahman said fire chiefs from different zones have been instructed to monitor the situation, and the Natural Resource and Environmental Board has stopped issuing permits for open burning.
“We can discuss with our neighbouring country (to follow suit),” he said, adding that he hoped Indonesia would cooperate by ceasing open burning activity.
According to the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre, or ASMC, satellite imagery showed moderate to dense smoke haze over southern and south-eastern Kalimantan of Indonesia, drifting towards the north-west.
Slight to moderate smoke haze was also observed over parts of west Kalimantan, drifting northwards to western Sarawak.
“There is also an elevated risk of the transboundary smoke haze in the border region between west Kalimantan and western Sarawak,” ASMC said in its weather and haze outlook on Sunday evening.
The ASMC website also recorded 154 hot spots in Kalimantan on Sunday, against three in Sabah and Sarawak, and forest burning has been reported in Indonesia.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan in June said that transboundary haze originating from Indonesia will not be an issue any more,
He said the authorities are looking to use climate-modification technology to produce artificial rain and to strengthen water reserves, which could help to prevent peatland fires. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
