Unhealthy API recorded in Banting, Kuala Lumpur
The haze has returned with several areas reporting moderate to unhealthy readings in the past 24 hours, with Banting (Selangor), and Cheras (Kuala Lumpur) posting unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as at 4pm today.
Cheras had a reading of 101, and Banting a high of 156. An hour earlier, Nilai in Negeri Sembilan also recorded unhealthy API with a reading of 149. In Balok Baru, Kuantan, Pahang, the highest reading was 103 at 10am, before falling to 100 at 4pm.
According to the Department of Environment’s API classifications, 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is moderate, and 101-200 is unhealthy. Readings from 201-300 are very unhealthy, while anything above 300 is hazardous.
A report on April 6, by the Southeast Asian Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) based in Singapore, said that a satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), showed 10 hotspots in Indonesia – two in Sumatra, and eight in Kalimantan. The report also identified 12 hotspots in Malaysia – 11 in Pahang, and one in Terengganu.
On Sunday, the Department of Environment in a statement, said unhealthy API readings, as of 6pm were recorded in three areas, namely, Nilai (132), Banting (157), and Rompin, Pahang (167).
The department also said that due to the unhealthy API readings in Rompin, which reached 151-200 in a span of 24 hours, an early warning notice was sent to the National Disaster Command Centre to issue a disaster preparedness notice to the affected state and district.
The public are reminded not to conduct open burning, or allow their land or premises to be encroached by irresponsible parties who may conduct open burning, either on purpose, or by accident.
Under Section 29(A) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, those convicted of open burning can be fined not exceeding RM500,000, or be imprisoned for a period not exceeding five years, or both.
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