KUCHING, Aug 29 — Four locations in Sarawak recorded very unhealthy air quality as of noon on Saturday, after Serian joined Lubok Antu, Lundu and Sri Aman in registering Air Pollutant Index (API) readings above 200.
According to the Natural Resources and Environment Board’s (NREB) Daily Haze Watch, Lubok Antu recorded the highest API reading at 230, followed by Lundu (228), Sri Aman (227) and IPD Serian (204).
Eight other locations remained at the unhealthy level — Sarikei (193), Tebedu (182), Kuching (174), Samarahan (173), Mukah (168), Sibu (163), Kapit (155) and Bintulu (153).
The remaining six locations recorded moderate air quality — Samalaju (96), Miri (68), ILP Miri (67), Bario (66), Lawas (59) and Limbang (52).
An API reading of between 51 and 100 is classified as moderate, 101 to 200 as unhealthy, and 201 to 300 as very unhealthy.
Meanwhile, Department of Environment (DoE) deputy director-general (Development) Azuri Azizah Saedon said moderate to dense transboundary smoke from West Kalimantan had been detected moving northwards into western Sarawak.
Citing an Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) report dated Aug 28, she said NOAA-20 satellite imagery detected 1,738 hotspots in Kalimantan, 36 in Sumatra and six in Malaysia — five in Sarawak and one in Sabah.
She said dry conditions persisted across much of the southern Asean region, with scattered to widespread hotspot clusters detected in Kalimantan as well as central and southern Sumatra.
“Several air quality monitoring stations in West Kalimantan, western Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, as well as central and southern Sumatra, also recorded unhealthy to very unhealthy readings,” she said in a statement on Saturday.
Azuri said DoE had stepped up enforcement and daily patrols in areas prone to open burning, while the National Open Burning Action Plan and National Haze Action Plan had been activated.
Under the National Haze Action Plan, the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) will activate disaster management committees at the district, state or federal level when API readings exceed 150 for more than 24 hours.
Outdoor classroom activities are to be stopped when the API exceeds 100, while schools, kindergartens and childcare centres are to close immediately when readings exceed 200.
“If the trend in readings shows an increase towards 200, preparations must be made to close the affected schools, kindergartens and childcare centres,” she said.
Cloud-seeding operations may also be carried out when API readings remain above 150 for more than 24 hours, subject to suitable cloud and weather conditions.
Azuri also reminded the public against open burning, adding that offences under the Environmental Quality (Amendment) Act 2024 carry a fine of between RM25,000 and RM1 million, imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
The public is also urged to cooperate by extinguishing small fires and reporting cases of open burning or fires to the Fire and Rescue Department via 999 or the DoE through its toll-free line at 1-800-88-2727. — The Borneo Post
Date: 29 August, 2026 2:08 pm
Source: Malay Mail
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