KUCHING: The haze situation in Sarawak remained worrying on Sept 4 morning, with Kuching, Samarahan and Sri Aman recording very unhealthy air quality while several other parts of the State remained in the unhealthy range.
According to the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS), Kuching recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 298 as of 8.30am, followed closely by Samarahan at 297 and Sri Aman at 248.
Meanwhile, six other locations in Sarawak recorded unhealthy air quality, namely Sarikei at 180, Sibu (175), Mukah (170), Bintulu (159), Samalaju (152) and ILP Miri (137).
The latest readings showed that western Sarawak continued to bear the brunt of the prolonged haze, with Kuching and Samarahan approaching the hazardous threshold.
Earlier at 7am, Serian recorded a hazardous API reading of 495, making it the only area in Malaysia at the time to breach the 300 mark. Kuching stood at 289, Samarahan at 265 and Sri Aman at 250 during the same period.
An API reading of between 0 and 50 is classified as good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy and above 300 hazardous.
The haze has persisted across Sarawak over the past several days, with air quality in Kuching and Serian previously reaching hazardous levels.
On Sept 1, Serian recorded an API reading exceeding 400, while Kuching and several other areas also experienced severe deterioration in air quality.
The prolonged haze has also raised concerns among parents as the school holiday draws to an end, particularly over whether schools in affected areas will be able to reopen as scheduled.
Members of the public, particularly children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions, are advised to reduce prolonged outdoor activities when air quality remains unhealthy and to keep abreast of the latest official readings.
The public can monitor the latest air quality readings through the Department of Environment’s MyEQMS platform.
