KUCHING: Visibility worsened as haze continued to blanket the city yesterday.
Air quality in the state deteriorated as of 4pm yesterday with very unhealthy readings on the Air Pollutants Index (API) for Kuching (224) and Samarahan (205).
Unhealthy readings were Sri Aman (154), Sarikei (153), Sibu (146), Bintulu (120), Mukah (116), and Samalaju (107) while five monitoring stations recorded moderate air quality levels namely, SK Baram (92), Miri (91), Kapit (88), Limbang (81), and ILP Miri (95).
Fourteen hotspots were detected in Sarawak: Marudi (7), Kapit (1), Julau (2) and Belaga (4). Kalimantan has 1088, while Sumatera has 154.
The Department of Environment yesterday declared no open burning nationwide under Section 29AA (2) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974. Cremation for religious purposes, barbecue grills and flaring are however exempted.
Its director-general Norlin Jaafar said those convicted of open burning may face a fine not exceeding RM500,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both.
She added a maximum of RM 2,000 may also be imposed for each offence.
“All parties are urged to refrain from open burning or to allow their land or premises to be infringed or to be invaded by irresponsible parties resulting in open burning for a specific purpose or accidentally,” she said in a statement yesterday.
