KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 — The Air Pollutant Index (API) reading in Sri Aman, Sarawak, has reached the hazardous level at 389 at 6pm today, from 300 at 2pm.
The State Disaster Management Committee is now on stand-by for the possibility of a haze emergency being declared in Sri Aman if the API continues to rise and exceed 500.
In Kuching, the air is still at a very unhealthy level, with API reading of 213 , followed by Johan Setia in Klang, Selangor, at 231.
Based on the Malaysia Air Pollution Index Management System (APIMS), Nilai in Negeri Sembilan recorded API reading of 206 and Seri Manjung in Perak, at 232 at noon today, making it the latest location with very unhealthy air, from 183 at 9 am today.
An API reading of zero to 50 indicates good air quality; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy and 300 and above, hazardous.
In a related development, NADMA said cloud seeding will be carried out in Sarawak on or after Sept 19, subject to weather and cloud conditions.
It said it would continue to monitor the haze situation in Sarawak , as well as other states, and an emergency will be declared when the API exceeds 500.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Ministry of Education stated that 648 schools were closed nationwide today due to the haze.
The schools comprise 636 government schools, with 298 of them in Sarawak (298), Selangor (201) , Putrajaya (25) and Negeri Sembilan (112), involving a total of 445,249 students.
The remaining 12 are private schools and involved 7,432 students.
With the worsening haze condition in the country, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the Cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss and decide on possible steps to address the trans-boundary haze pollution.
He told a media conference after launching the Malaysia-China Basketball Exchange that Wisma Putra had formally contacted the Indonesian government on the current haze situation.
Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment, and Climate Change Yeo Bee Yin is expected to table the latest report on haze to the cabinet tomorrow. — Bernama
