Uggah: State Disaster Management Committee mobilising manpower, hardware to extinguish hotspots in Sarawak

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Uggah fields questions from reporters when met after the event.

KUCHING: The State Disaster Management Committee is mobilising hardware and manpower to extinguish hotspots here in a bid to improve the haze situation, especially the two detected in Sri Aman, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah.

As at 8am this morning, the API reading in Sri Aman has dropped from over 400 yesterday to 239, said Uggah.

“There are two hotspots in Sri Aman that we hope to extinguish today and we will continue to monitor the situation. We are also mobilising manpower from Bomba Betong and Saratok to assist,” he told reporters when met after the Sarawak’s Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) grant presentation at Wisma Bapa Malaysia today.

However, the number of hotspots in Kalimantan is 452 compared to 17 located here in Bau (1), Belaga (2), Kapit (1), Lubok Antu (3), Lundu (1), Marudi (2), Saratok (1) and Sri Aman (6).

On the issue of school closures, he said he would leave it to the principals, headmasters and Education Department to decide.

“If the API reading rises above 200, the schools will have to close. Aside from that, the committee will ensure that face masks are distributed at schools,” he said.

When asked about cloud seeding, he said he would hold a meeting soon to assess if weather conditions were optimal for cloud seeding to be carried out.

As Sri Aman is also facing water shortage, he said the Resident’s Office there is having a meeting to look into the situation and is currently working out methods to get water there to  solve the problem.

He added that it was caused by a drought, which is unprecedented for Sri Aman.

“The drought (has been going on) for two months already. Now the weather is unpredictable. Normally, the end of September will bring the onset of cold weather and rain, but according to the projection of MetMalaysia, the hot weather will continue until the end of the month.”