KUCHING: Sarawak is prepared to carry out cloud seeding as haze continues to affect the state, while water levels at some hydroelectric facilities are declining.
Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, said the State Government had submitted a request for cloud seeding and was working with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) to determine when the operations could be carried out.
He said the State Government had requested cloud seeding due to the haze, while Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) had also sought the operations to address declining water levels at its hydroelectric facilities.
However, Uggah said cloud seeding could only be conducted when suitable cloud formations were present.
“We cannot conduct cloud seeding without clouds. As soon as the situation permits, they will move on, unless the rain continues,” he said to reporters after the Iban Women Charitable Trust Handicraft Competition 2025/2026 at Riverside Majestic today.
On schools, Uggah said the existing standard operating procedure remained in place, with the State Education Department director empowered to decide on school closures once the Air Pollutant Index (API) reached 200.
He said decisions involving taska and tadika would be left to the Ministry of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, headed by Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
“The situation is more complicated, especially for taska, because most children are sent there while their parents are working,” he said.
Uggah said the State Government was also addressing water shortages in affected areas, with the Welfare Department continuing to provide drinking water where necessary.
He said the Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) should be utilised where possible as it had greater capacity to deliver water to affected communities.
The Divisional Disaster Management Committees (DDMCs) have also been alerted to monitor fire hotspots and water shortages, with a 12-hour key performance indicator set for responding to complaints over insufficient water supply.
Uggah also urged the public to stop open burning until conditions improve, warning that such activities could trigger fires and worsen the haze.
On transboundary haze, he said such issues would be addressed through the ASEAN Transboundary Haze Pollution mechanism, with Sarawak’s concerns to be channelled through the Federal Government for discussions with Indonesia.
He also said Sarawak had to remain vigilant over fires in Kuala Baram, which is near Brunei, as smoke from the area could drift into the neighbouring country.
“This is a very delicate issue. There is a mechanism and agencies that will look into ways and means to minimise the impact of this haze,” he said.
