PUTRAJAYA, March 3 (Bernama) -- The Air Pollution Index (API) in Balok Baru, Kuantan, Pahang, was recorded at a ‘very unhealthy’ level of 250 as of 4 pm today.
Department of Environment (DOE) director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar said the poor air quality was caused by a peatland fire at a coconut plantation in Cherating, Kuantan.
He said the DOE had issued Warning Notification Notes 3A & 3B to the National Disaster Command Centre (NDCC) for the dissemination of a Disaster Preparedness Operational Notice to activate the District/State Disaster Management Committees and initiate a response based on the National Haze Action Plan.
“The DOE has intensified enforcement actions and monitoring activities both on the ground and from the air using drones, while continuously tracking API readings.
“Coordination efforts between relevant agencies have also been carried out to strategise firefighting and fire control measures,” he said in a statement tonight.
Meanwhile, Wan Abdul Latiff said according to the Regional Haze Map issued by ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre, most of the southern ASEAN region experienced cloudy weather today, except for Peninsular Malaysia and the northern part of Sumatra, Indonesia.
He said several isolated hot spots were detected in Peninsular Malaysia and central Sumatra, with localised smoke plumes observed originating from hot spots on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
All landowners are advised to closely monitor areas prone to frequent fires to prevent open burning incidents.
The public is also urged to help extinguish small fires and report any cases of open burning or fires to the Fire and Rescue Department at 999 or the DOE at the toll-free hotline 1-800-88-2727.
-- BERNAMA
