KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 27): Nine areas nationwide recorded unhealthy air pollutant index (API) readings as of 4pm on Thursday, including three in Sarawak.

Department of Environment (DOE) deputy director general (development) Azuri Azizah Saedon said air quality had deteriorated mainly in the west coast states of Peninsular Malaysia and several areas in Sarawak amid haze movement from various directions.

In a statement on Thursday, she said Samarahan recorded the highest API reading in Sarawak at 158, followed by Sri Aman (157) and IPD Serian (156).

In Kuala Lumpur, the affected areas were Cheras (153) and Batu Muda (107), while in Selangor, Johan Setia recorded 151 and Shah Alam 103. Putrajaya recorded 114, and Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, 109.

She said the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre, based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite images on Tuesday, detected 266 hotspots in Kalimantan and 164 in Sumatra, while four hotspots were detected in Malaysia, one each in Kelantan and Terengganu, and two in Sabah.

Following the situation, Azuri Azizah said the DOE had increased daily enforcement and patrols in areas at risk of open burning, besides monitoring API readings regularly.

The National Open Burning Action Plan and National Haze Action Plan had also been activated to coordinate government agencies’ efforts to address open burning and the haze situation.

This includes preparations by the National Disaster Management Agency to activate the Disaster Management Committee if API readings exceed 150 for more than 24 hours, as well as measures such as suspending outdoor classroom activities, closing schools, kindergartens and nurseries, and conducting cloud seeding operations.

The public can monitor the latest API readings via the DOE’s APIMS website or MyJAS EQMS application.

Read also:
MetMalaysia sees haze worsening; conditions to persist till Aug 31 
MOH: Respiratory-related cases up sharply amid haze

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