KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 — The National Open Burning Action Plan and the National Haze Action Plan were activated after several areas recorded unhealthy air pollution index (API) readings.
Department of Environment (DoE) director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar in a statement said the action plans were activated to coordinate the actions of government agencies in dealing with the issue of open burning and the haze that are affecting the country.
He said three air quality monitoring stations recorded API readings of unhealthy levels today, namely in Shah Alam, Selangor where the API was at 149 points, Kuching where the API was 152 and Serian in Sarawak where the API was 152.
“Wind movements from the southeast has brought haze from the west Kalimantan area to southern Sarawak causing an increase in API readings in those areas.
“The increase in API readings in Shah Alam was due to the open burning activities in areas close to the monitoring stations.”
Wan Abdul Latiff also said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite images detected 64 hot spots in Sumatra, Indonesia, 55 in Kalimantan, Indonesia and eight in the country, four each in Sabah and Sarawak.
He said , the DoE had beefed up enforcement and daily patrol activities in potential open burning areas as well as improved monitoring of the API readings.
He urged landowners to closely monitor areas that could burn easily such as landfills, forests, peatlands, farms, agricultural and industrial areas.
The public is also reminded not to conduct any open burning or allow their land and premises to be encroached on by irresponsible parties who resort to open burning.
Section 29(A) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 states that those convicted of open burning may be fined a maximum of RM500,000 or imprisoned for a term not exceeding five years or both, and a maximum compound of RM2,000 can be imposed for each offence.
— Bernama
