The air pollutant index (API) reading in Serian, Sarawak, fell to 287 by 1.45pm today, placing the district in the “very unhealthy” category a day after a haze emergency was declared there.
No areas nationwide recorded “hazardous” API readings at the time.
Five other locations in Sarawak also recorded very unhealthy air quality — Kuching at 267, Sri Aman (251), Samarahan (242), Samalaju (202) and Bintulu (201).
Nationwide, 25 areas recorded unhealthy API readings, while 26 reported moderate levels and 11 recorded good air quality.
An API reading between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy and above 300 hazardous.
In Kuching, Sarawak Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah Embas said government departments, private companies and other workplaces affected by the haze emergency in Serian could continue operating, provided they implemented appropriate health precautions.
The state Disaster Management Committee chairman said the measures applied to industries, plantations, construction sites, quarries and other affected workplaces.
Uggah said the committee was closely monitoring the haze situation throughout Sarawak, with particular attention on Serian’s API reading.
He said the API level would be monitored over the next three days in case it rises above 500 again.
“This monitoring is to be done before any recommendation is proposed to Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the status of the emergency in Serian,” he said in a statement, Bernama reported.
