KUCHING: Cloud seeding operations (OPA) for Sarawak is expected to be done on or after Sept 19.
According to a report of the Department of Environment (DOE) at 6pm yesterday there were 29 areas with unhealthy air quality and four areas with very unhealthy air quality.
The very unhealthy Air Pollution Index (API) readings were in Sri Aman (208) and Kuching (229), Johan Setia Klang in Selangor (226) while Putrajaya had 204.
The National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) along with the Meteorological Department Malaysia (MET) and Royal Malaysia Air Force (TUDM) coordinated cloud seeding yesterday in Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Selangor.
Whereas in Sarawak, the atmosphere and cloud conditions yesterday were found to be unsuitable due to the dry weather.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) together with the State Education Department monitored the haze throughout the state and schools will be closed if the API reads 200 and above.
The Education Department in each state may order schools to close according to its standard operating procedure (SOP) if it is determined that the haze is getting worse.
Nadma is currently supplying over 1.5 million face masks for distribution to students in areas affected by the haze in Malaya.
Kuala Lumpur/Putrajaya gets 270,000 masks; Selangor — 500,000, Negeri Sembilan — 230,000, Perak — 130,000, Kedah — 110,000, Penang — 190,000 and Johor — 70,000 masks.
Distribution of the masks will be done by the Civil Defence Force (APM) to the State/District Education Department. The figures above do not include the 500,000 face masks issued in Sarawak on September 10.
