Malaysia: Cloud seeding Operation to begin by noon if conditions ideal

The Star 15 Sep 15;

PETALING JAYA: After days of worsening haze, the Meteorological Department, National Security Council and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) are moving in.

The Meteorological Department will begin cloud seeding operations today to bring relief to Klang Valley and Kuching. The department’s atmospheric science and cloud seeding division director Maznorizan Mohamad said the operation was targeted to start by noon.

“It will depend on the availability of clouds.

“If it is favourable, we can start,’’ she said, adding that one aircraft each will be based in Kuching and Subang airports.

Maznorizan said each cloud seeding flight would cost between RM30,000 and RM40,000.

She said cloud conditions have not been ideal over the past few days. At 5pm yesterday, 32 areas nationwide recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings.

These included Banting (180), Nilai (179), Port Dickson (174), Seremban (170), Bukit Rambai (174), Port Klang (175), Putrajaya (161) and Batu in Kuala Lumpur (175).

An API reading between 0 and 50 is considered good; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy; and 301 and above, hazardous.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said based on satellite images, two hotspots were detected in Sarawak on Sunday, three in Sumatra and 407 in Kalimantan.

However, Dr Wan Junaidi said the actual number of hotspots was not known due to cloud cover.

He said he will meet his Indonesian counterpart on Sept 25 to ask him if assistance was needed from Malaysia to put out the forest fires there.

“The smoke from hotspots in central and west Kalimantan is expected to travel to west Sarawak in the next 48 to 72 hours,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry will assist in the distribution of face masks to high risk patients in states severely affected by the haze.

Children, the elderly, the pregnant and those with heart and respiratory problems and those who are sensitive to haze will be given priority.

Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the face masks will be distributed in Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak.

“The face masks will be distributed through government hospitals and clinics in those states.

“The ministry will continue to monitor the haze levels and will distribute the face masks to other states should the situation require it,” he said.

The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) president Dr Steven Chow said high risk patients should see their doctors to review their medication if their symptoms worsened.

Cloud seeding expected over Klang Valley, Sarawak Tuesday
The Star 14 Sep 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: Cloud seeding is expected to be carried out Tuesday over the Klang Valley and Sarawak, said the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

"However, this depends on the haze situation Monday afternoon, which may improve due to the changes in winds which are stronger," said National Weather Centre senior meteorological officer Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip.

He stressed that the Department was ready to carry out cloud seeding operations to reduce the haze which has affected several areas in the country.

Meanwhile, according to the Department of Environment website Monday, Bakar Arang in Sungai Petani, Kedah, was the latest area which recorded an unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 112 Monday afternoon.

The API reading in Banting, Selangor, remained the highest in the country at 171, followed by Port Klang (164), Shah Alam (149), Petaling Jaya and Kuala Selangor (145).

In Sarawak, Sri Aman recorded a reading of 138, Sarikei (122) and Samarahan (111).

An API reading of between 0 and 50 is considered safe, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy and 300 and above as dangerous.

Members of the public can visit the Department's website for the latest API readings. - Bernama


Schools closed in haze-hit areas
KAREN CHAPMAN The Star 15 Sep 15;

PETALING JAYA: All schools in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan and Malacca have been closed today due to the haze.

Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan said minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid conveyed the decision to him.

“We will update when schools need to reopen, first thing in the morning,” he said when asked if students need to return to school on Thursday.

The school holidays are set to start this Saturday in all states and a day earlier in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

The announcement was made close to midnight yesterday.

A mother who wished to only be known as Julia said there should be a total ban on activities outside classrooms.

She said she was worried about her son, Juhan, who would be sitting for his SPM examination in November.

“I am very concerned as he is an active photographer and also plays basketball,” said Julia.

Khalid Mohd Nor, a father of two, also agreed that all non-classroom activities should be stopped.

“Our children’s health can be affected if they have to be outside,” he said.

Serena Lo said the private school in Kuching, which her children go to, has suspended all activities outside the classroom, including physical education and extra-curricular activities.

“The air-conditioner in the classes are also switched on earlier in the morning, before the first lesson instead of after morning recess,” she said.

Fauziah Mohd Johar, whose son has just finished sitting for his UPSR last week, suggested that the Education Ministry bring forward the school holidays so that children could avoid going out in the haze.

The holidays are scheduled to start this Saturday for all schools and a day earlier for schools in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

“Since my son is not doing anything in school after his exams, I hope the ministry will consider bringing the holidays forward,” she said.

The Education Ministry has issued a statement urging schools to stop all activities outside the classrooms when the Air Pollutant Index (API) is more than 150.

It also said that schools in areas with API of more than 200 must be closed.

“The school must inform parents if their children are having health problems at school as a result of the haze.

“They also need to refer to the district health office or the nearest health clinic,” the ministry said.

The ministry also advised all school heads and teachers to continually monitor the API readings.

Schools have also been told to refer to the ministry’s Aug 7, 2013 circular on the haze or guidelines on caring for students in hot weather issued on Feb 26, 2014.

Schools must close once API exceeds 200
KAREN CHAPMAN The Star 14 Sep 15;

PETALING JAYA: Schools must be closed once the Air Pollutant Index (API) exceeds 200, said the Education Ministry.

In a statement Monday, it also said that schools must not carry out activities outside the classrooms when the API is more than 150.

“Heads of schools must inform the district education office and state education departments if there is a need to close their schools,” it said.

The API in Klang Valley was highest in Banting 176 and in other areas Kuala Selangor (Selangor) 145, Port Klang 174, Petaling Jaya 153, Shah Alam 156, Batu Muda (Kuala Lumpur) 169, Cheras 155, Putrajaya 159.

In Malacca, Bandaraya Melaka reads 151 and Bukit Rambai (Malacca) 169, and in Negri Sembilan, Nilai was Nilai 175, Port Dickson 170 and Seremban 167.

In Perak, Jalan Tasek 145, Kampung Air Putih, Taiping 131, SK Jalan Pegoh, Ipoh 154, Seri Manjung 171.

In Penang, the hard hit areas are Perai 115, Seberang Jaya 2 138 and USM 137.

Other areas: Larkin Lama (Johor) - 103, Muar 132, Bakar Arang, Sungai Petani (Kedah) 120, Balak Baru 126, Indera Mahkota (Pahang) 111, Jerantut (Pahang) 117, Samarahan (Sarawak) 104, Sarikei 123, Sri Aman (Sarawak) 138.

Air quality with API readings of 0-50 is categorised as good, 51-100 (moderate), 101-200 (unhealthy), 201-300 (very unhealthy) and 301 and above (hazardous).

The ministry said it was monitoring the haze situation in areas where the API was more than 100.

“The schools must inform parents if their children are having health problems as a result of the haze. They also need to refer to the district health office or the nearest health clinic,” the ministry said.

School heads and teachers were told to monitor the API readings.

The school authorities can also refer to the ministry’s circular on the haze dated Aug 7, 2013, or guidelines dated Feb 26, 2014, on caring for students during the hot weather. The guidelines are still in place.


Malaysia to begin cloud-seeding as schools shut due to haze
Today Online 15 Sep 15;

KUALA LUMPUR — A layer of heavy haze has forced Malaysian authorities to shut schools in three states and the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, with officials to begin cloud seeding operations to try to induce rain to help clear the air.

The thick, dirty white haze blanketed many parts of Malaysia early today (Sept 15) — an annual phenomenon that is mostly caused by the burning of forests in Indonesia to clear land for farming. Some 34 out of 52 air quality stations recording unhealthy air levels.

A plane equipped with chemicals it aims to release in the air that will help clouds produce rain was due to take off later today to cover Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas, said Dr Maznorizan Mohamad, a meteorological department senior official. A second aircraft was scheduled to fly over Kuching in Sarawak state on Borneo island.

She said the cloud-seeding is planned for three days but will depend on cloud availability and weather conditions. Dr Maznorizan said both the Kuching and Subang airports will each have one aircraft stationed there for the operation, which will cost between RM30,000 (S$9,760) and RM40,000 per flight.

The inter-monsoon season is expected to start in late September, bringing more rain over peninsular Malaysia to clear up the haze.

“It will bring temporary relief but whatever it is, we have to address the source of the problem,” she said.

Late last night, the Education Ministry ordered the temporary closure of all schools in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

The haze worsened yesterday, with the Department of Environment registering Air Pollutant Index (API) readings exceeding the 100 mark in several states across the country.

According to statistics by the Department of Environment, 34 areas were recording unhealthy readings on the API. Under the API system, 0 to 50 is good, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 200 is unhealthy, while 201 to 300 is very unhealthy and those above 301 is hazardous.

Some of the highest readings were recorded in Perak’s capital Ipoh — SK Jalan Pegoh (189) and Jalan Tasek (183), Pahang’s Balok Baru in Kuantan (180).

In Sarawak, five areas recorded an unhealthy API, namely Sri Aman (151), Sarikei (136), Sibu (117), Samarahan (115) and Kuching (109).

All five areas in Selangor have unhealthy API, namely Banting (177), Pelabuhan Klang (168), Shah Alam (155), Petaling Jaya (151) and Kuala Selangor (113).

The federal capital is also shrouded in haze, with Batu Muda recording an API of 183 and Cheras, at 153, while the administrative capital of Putrajaya recorded an API of 169.

In Negri Sembilan, Nilai recorded an API reading of 179, Seremban (171) and Port Dickson (160), while in Malacca it was 165 at Bukit Rambai and Bandaraya Malacca (153).

The haze affects the region every year, and is largely caused by slashing and burning forests to clear land for agriculture in Indonesia.

Indonesia's Riau province has declared an emergency that shut schools and set up health posts to treat those suffering respiratory problems after its air pollutant index hit extremely dangerous levels.

In Singapore, air pollution reached very unhealthy levels. Organizers of this weekend's annual Formula One night race are keeping a close watch on the situation to decide whether it will be safe to race. The Singapore Grand Prix has always been held at this time of year, and while there has been some haze in past years due to the forest fires, it has never prevented the race from going ahead.

Indonesia's government has dispatched planes and helicopters for cloud seeding and water dropping, along with more than 1,000 soldiers sent to Sumatra island to help extinguish the fires. AP, MALAY MAIL ONLINE