Serian receives mobile air quality monitoring station

0

KUCHING: The mobile station for continuous air quality monitoring (MCAQM) finally arrived in Serian on Monday from SK Kuala Baram II, Miri, as a temporary measure to provide accurate data on air quality in the division.

Located at Serian district police station, the MCAQM station was switched on at about 3pm on Monday and the first reading was taken at about 9am yesterday, Department of Environment (DoE) said in a statement.

According to DoE, the mobile air quality monitoring station, named MCAQM 002 Kenyalang, is able to measure Air Pollutant Index (API) within 50km radius and it can be mobilised to other areas upon request.

MCAQM 002 Kenyalang was previously stationed at SK Kuala Baram II as Miri was experiencing suffocating haze for the past few weeks.

“The station named MCAQM 002 Kenyalang was transported here from SK Kuala Baram II due to the demands from the residents of Serian to monitor the air quality here, which reportedly is high,” said Scieno Tw Sdn Bhd specialist operation engineer Mohamad Daut Bolhir after visiting the station on Monday.

Concerns were raised recently following complaints from surrounding communities about the lack of accuracy in monitoring air quality in the division as Serian has to depend on API readings from Samarahan air quality monitoring station.

Readings from Samarahan station were disputed for not accurately representing the air quality in Serian since the division is located close to the Indonesian border, the source of the transboundary haze.

Addressing the need to increase the number of air quality monitoring stations in the state would depend on the budget allocation in the upcoming 12th Malaysia Plan, DoE said.