PETALING JAYA: Unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings were recorded in three places in Malaysia, namely Nilai in Negri Sembilan, Cheras in Kuala Lumpur, and Sri Aman in Sarawak.
According to the Environment Department website, as of 5pm yesterday, the API reading for Nilai was 137, while it was 109 in Sri Aman.
In Cheras, the reading was 104, and in Banting, Selangor, it was 100.
At 5am, the reading for Sri Aman, which shares a border with Kalimantan, Indonesia, in Borneo, spiked to 152 before gradually decreasing throughout the day.
The API reading ranges from 0-50 for good air quality, 51-100 for moderate air quality, and 101-200 for unhealthy air quality. It is calculated using a 24-hour running average of the most dominant parameter.
Other stations in the country with moderately high readings were Shah Alam (98), Putrajaya (98), Petaling Jaya (85), Klang (87), Batu Muda (85) in the Klang Valley, and IPD Serian in Sarawak (92).
The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) website reported that as of Saturday, there were 351 hotspots in Kalimantan, 26 hotspots in Sumatra, and six hotspots in Sabah and Sarawak.
The ASMC website stated, “Isolated hotspots were detected in Kalimantan and Sumatra from the overnight satellite pass. Moderate to dense smoke haze was observed enveloping southeastern Kalimantan and drifting northwest from morning satellite imagery.
“Slight smoke haze was also observed over parts of West Kalimantan. Slight to moderate smoke plumes were seen emanating from a few hotspots in southern Sumatra and southern Kalimantan, drifting northwest. A few stations in western Borneo and southern Sumatra are reporting unhealthy to very unhealthy air quality.”
According to the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), Malaysia is currently experiencing the south-west monsoon, which may result in haze if open burning is not controlled. The monsoon is expected to last until later this month.
Last month, Kuching experienced hazy conditions, with the state capital recording an API reading of 91.
On August 30, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad stated that a letter had been issued to Malaysian plantation companies, subsidiaries, and Malaysian-linked companies operating in Indonesia, outlining measures to prevent open burning in plantation areas.
Nik Nazmi mentioned that the letter was a reminder to companies to take action against plantation and peat fires, which are the primary cause of transboundary haze pollution in the region. He also stated that efforts would continue through the Foreign Ministry’s representative offices in Indonesia.
The government has implemented various measures to combat open burning, including activating the National Open Burning Action Plan on April 2.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
