Authorities are stepping up vigilance nationwide against the haze that is expected to worsen in the next few days if rain doesn't fall. I sure hope the rain falls down heavy enough to clear the haze and we can see the bright yellow of the sun again instead of an orange/red ball in the sky.
Red balloon: A boy playing in the late after noon with the sun clearly seen as a red ball near Sungai Buloh on Friday - The Star.
A blanket ban on open burning in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya has been imposed by the Department of Environment (DOE). The Malaysian Medical Association is also advising the public on how to deal with the haze and outpatient departments at government hospitals have been directed to be on alert as respiratory and eye problems are expected to rise with the return of the haze.
The Education Ministry indicated that schools will be closed once the Air Pollutant Index (API) in their area reaches 400 while all sporting and outdoor activities will be cancelled once the API hits the “hazardous” level of 300.
The DOE classifies API readings of between 0 and 50 as Good, 51-100 as Moderate, 101-200 as Unhealthy, 201-300 as Very Unhealthy, and more than 301 as Hazardous.
Anyone convicted of open burning will be fined up to RM500,000 or jailed up to five years or both. A maximum compound of RM2,000 may also be meted out, according to the DOE.
Image Source: The Star..Haze at unhealthy levels in Klang Valley with worse to come
Related post:
The Haze is back in Kuala Lumpur - unhealthy air quality
So many Malaysian bloggers are writing about "the haze". I couldn't figure out what it was - I thought perhaps it was yellow sand from China? - but it looks as if it's just people burning rubbish? Why do they do that?!
ReplyDeleteHere in Japan we're in the middle of rainy season. You couldn't burn anything if you tried. Everything's soggy and sodden and sopping wet! :)
Rurousha, good of you to highlight a blind spot we are not seeing babbling away about "the haze".
ReplyDeleteThe haze is a yearly 'phenomenon' this time of the year (normally from May until Sept) during the south-west monsoon season in which temperatures can be so hot that due to lack of rainfall, peat-fires start by themselves both here as well as in neighbouring Sumatra. This coupled with land-clearing and burning of cleared vegetation for new cultivation season over there add to the smoke from peat fires smouldering in the jungles resulting in unhealthy air quality - thus the acrid smell of smoke in the air. When all this is happening, open burning is the last thing we want to avoid so as not to add to the already-bad situation.
Please send some rain over..
I hate the haze! Though if you are in air cond room, it's much colder cos the haze blocked out the sun. Have you heard of the yellow haze in China? That one was mysterious!
ReplyDeleteWhere to complain open burning around kg subang area. It has been going on for a month now.
ReplyDeleteFoong, yeah, read about it. The yellow-greenish tinged-haze affected seven cities in Hubei province, including Wuhan. Officials said it was due to burning of straw, meaning farmers burning crops after harvesting. Sydney also experienced something similar though I don't remember its cause. It happened last year or the year before, not sure.
ReplyDeleteHello Lily, welcome!
ReplyDeleteAs to your query, I found the information on the Department of Environment. It says:
You can make a complaint to:
Department of Environment
Level 1 – 4, Podium 2 & 3, Wisma Sumber Asli
No.25, Persiaran Perdana, Precint 4
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62574 Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Complaints Line: 03-8889 1972
Hotline: 1-800-88-2727
E-Complaint: Click Here
Hope the above is helpful.