YU JI The Star 11 Sep 15;
KUCHING: The haze in Sarawak could get worse, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said.
His warning came as schools were ordered to halt outdoor activities and hospitals reported a rise in cases of respiratory illnesses.
“If the wind direction does not change in the next 48 hours, then the present unhealthy level in Kuching will reach Sarikei and Sibu in central Sarawak,” Junaidi said.
In the afternoon, three areas in southern Sarawak recorded the highest air pollutant index (API) readings in the whole country for this year.
At 2pm, the API was 150 in Kuching, in Samarahan it was 174 and in Sri Aman it was 155.
The API was 100 in Sarikei and 91 in Sibu. Up north, it was 64 in Miri.
No hotspots were detected in Sarawak and Sabah. Most of the haze is from across the border.
Dr Wan Junaidi said “four-fifths” of the Indonesian portion of Borneo was “under a cloud of smoke”.
The haze is so thick that at least two satellites have been unable to detect hotspots.
“The satellites did not get a clear picture perhaps because of the thick haze. We could not discern the number (of hotspots). There’s nothing much we can do if the wind doesn’t change. This cloud of smoke will keep coming,” he said.
In one of the last complete passes by the satellite AQUA on Sept 8, it detected a staggering 951 hotspots in Borneo.
Yesterday, the API in Pontianak, the closest Indonesian city to Kuching, was reportedly above 500.
Sarawak Assistant Public Health Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said there had been a marked increase in respiratory illness cases in hospitals and clinics in the state.
“All the hospitals are seeing more asthma patients. In clinics, we are seeing more cases of flu-like symptoms, including runny nose, coughing and red eyes,” Dr Jerip said.
An Education Department circular has been issued to all schools to stop sporting activities.
With visibility in the state capital as low as 400m in the morning, several flights at Kuching International Airport were rescheduled or diverted.
Meanwhile in Kota Kinabalu, the situation worsened overnight, with visibility in the city reduced by more than half and more districts enveloped by the smog.
State Meteorological Services Department director Abdul Malik Tussin said visibility in Kota Kinabalu dropped to 3.5km as at 2pm yesterday compared to 8km a day earlier.
Hazy morning for Sarawakians
ADIB POVERA New Straits Times 11 Sep 15;
KUCHING: Sarawakians in the southern part of the state woke up thick dust as the haze worsened in Samarahan, Kuching and Sri Aman.
The three divisions registered an unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) at 8am today.
Samarahan remained as the worst affected division with an unhealthy API reading of 176 followed by Kuching with 167.
The API for Sri Aman reads 163. Sarikei showed improvement this morning when it recorded a moderate reading of92.
The API reading for Sarikei was 101 yesterday.
The Department of Environment, in a statement on Thursday, said the deteriorating air quality in several parts of Sarawak are caused by transboundary haze due to peat and forests fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
"Based on a report by Singapore-based ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), it had stated that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's statelite image identified an increase in the number of hot spots in Sumatera and Kalimantan.
"As of Wednesday, a total of 140 hotspots have been identified in Sumatera. "The satellite image had also picked up 25 hotspots in Kalimantan," said the department.
The department did not ruled out there might be more hotspots in Kalimantan since the satellite image was unable to spot hotspots for the entire territory.
More than 500 cases of open burning in 11 days
The Star 11 Sep 15;
PETALING JAYA: Over 500 cases of open burning and forest and peat fires were recorded throughout the country in the past 11 days.
A check with the Fire and Rescue Department’s website showed 565 cases of open burning, forest fires and peat fires from Aug 31 till yesterday.
There were 17 cases of open burning, forest fires and peat fires recorded for yesterday and Wednesday with six cases in Selangor, five cases in Johor, three cases in Sarawak, two in Pahang and one in Sabah.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said based on investigations by the Department of Environment (DOE), 3,248 cases of open burning nationwide were detected up to Sept 8.
Of the number, 579 cases were open burning in forest areas, 1,162 in agricultural areas, 710 of small open burning, 624 in bush areas, 91 in landfill areas, 63 in construction areas and 19 in industrial areas.
“As for enforcement measures for the same period, compounds were issued for 215 cases of open burning.
“Notices were issued for 15 cases and directives for 41 cases.
“Investigation papers have also been prepared for 18 cases of open burning,” he said in a statement yesterday.
The haze is expected to travel across Pahang and Johor in the next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, four places in Sarawak recorded deteriorating air quality yesterday, according to the DOE website.
