Air quality in Sibu ‘unhealthy’

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The busy stretch of Khoo Peng Loong near Kapit Wharf here engulfed in thick fog as at 9am yesterday.

SIBU: Air quality here plunged to the unhealthiest level in the country at noon yesterday, with an air pollution index (API) reading of 108.

The place with the second highest API reading yesterday was Pelabuhan Kelang in Selangor, with an API reading of 102.

Sibu was the only place in Sarawak to record unhealthy air quality. The API reading breached the 100-mark in the

wee hours yesterday and most parts of the town were shrouded in haze and smell of fumes filled the air.

Visibility was reduced so much that the opposite bank of the Rajang River was hardly visible.

An API reading of 0 to 50 is considered healthy, 51-100 (moderate), 101-200 (unhealthy), 201-300 (very unhealthy), and 301 and above (hazardous).

Limbang had a reading of 44, and was the only place in the state with `healthy air quality’.

Those with moderate air quality were Bintulu (54), ILP Miri (55), Kapit (55), Kuching (59), Miri (61), Sri Aman (66), Samarahan (76) and Sarikei (91).

On Friday, the NOAA-18 satellite detected 209 hotspots in Borneo.

State Health director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan yesterday advised people to wear face mask if the API reading exceeded 100.

“People with respiratory problems are advised to stay indoors,” Dr Zulkifli told thesundaypost.

Meanwhile, Sibu Zone Bomba chief Abdul Mutalib Rashid voiced concern over the occurrence of bush fires here.

“We have been swarmed with calls and we need the cooperation of members of the public to proactively douse small fires,” said Abdul Mutalib.

He reckoned the hazy situation here was partly due to the bush fires.

Sibu Central station chief Abdul Mutalif Jaafar noted that bush fire seemed to hit Jerawit areas annually.

He lamented that every time the fire was put out it flared up again due to the dry weather.

Natural Resources and Environment Board Sarawak (NREB) controller Peter Sawal mentioned recently that they would withhold or defer approval for open burning permits if API in some regions breached 100.

Sawal also said they were monitoring the situation in the state closely.