KUCHING: The Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB), as of yesterday, has issued four compound fines to several local companies for illegal open burning as moderate haze prevailed.
The NREB Controller, Peter Sawal, said each of the companies was compounded with a fine of RM9,000.
“NREB has issued order(s) effective Aug 24 not to process any open burning permit application for the time being due to the dry season, made worse with cross-boundary haze that hit Sarawak at that time.
“Therefore, as a result of our enforcement, four compounds were issued to a few local companies for conducting illegal open burning as of today (yesterday),” he said when contacted yesterday.
Peter said the postponement in approving the permit application to conduct open burning would be enforced until the haze, especially from West Kalimantan, Indonesia, has fully subsided.
He added that the haze that hit Sarawak since more than a week ago arose from the burning activities in West Kalimantan based on many hot spots detected there.
“Two days ago, the haze condition in West Kalimantan was very bad and we are very hopeful that monsoon winds will not bring it here (Sarawak). If not, there is a possibility that Sarawak will be hit by quite severe haze again like what happened last week.”
Peter said NREB would continue to monitor the situation in the state and also the country’s boundary before deciding on whether to withdraw the postponement in processing permit applications for open burning.
At this time, he said NREB only permitted controlled open burning by issuing permits to operators to clean up their agriculture and plantation waste.
At the same time, Peter hoped that the people, especially the plantation companies, will not conduct open burning because it could cause bush or forest fires that might worsen the situation.
“The public is advised to report to NREB, Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) and Department of Environment if they know of any open burning activities so that the situation now can be maintained.”
Commenting on the haze situation yesterday, Peter said it was good with all the areas registering Air Pollutant Index of between 16 to 58 (good and moderate).
Meanwhile, Bomba state director Nor Hisham Mohammad, when contacted, said so far, they received minimal reports of between two and three cases of bush fires per day throughout the state.