Tuesday April 5, 2016
By Olivia Miwil
TUARAN: Eighty-three primary and secondary schools in Papar, Beaufort and Kuala Penyu were ordered closed today due to unhealthy air quality.
Sabah Education deputy director Maimunah Suhaibul said more schools were expected to be closed if Air Pollutant Index (API) reading exceeded 200 (very unhealthy level).
“The Sabah Department of Environment has placed a portable Particulate Matter Monitoring System device at SMK Membakut 2 to monitor situation in the three districts.
“We will decide tomorrow (today) on whether to continue closing those schools based on the readings,” she said after launching the state-level 1 Malaysia Reading programme at SMK Tamparuli here yesterday.
API readings in the districts fluctuated between very unhealthy and unhealthy levels.
National Resource and Environment ministry, the poor air quality at those districts was due to farmers’ land clearing activities and the open fires had spread to 20 hectares peat soil forest reserve at Klias and another 200 hectares at Binsuluk on March 27.
The fire was under controlled yesterday but the embers underneath the soil were emitting thick smoke.
The readings at three districts were at 143, while the second highest was in Kota Kinabalu.
Maimunah had advised schools principals and headmasters at Kota Kinabalu to inform the department before allowing students to go home.
“We hope the haze will not affect school sessions. But if there are schools affected by open fires, school authorities have to ensure parents pick up their children for safety purposes.”
Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Harun Abdullah said classes would also be suspended if API continued to rise.
Meanwhile, a resident at Taman Penampang phase 2 Tan Ee Ran, 42, said the recent bush fires behind the residential area had affected the health of his three children aged between 3 and 7.
“The fire was able to be put out after burning for several hours but there are still small fires here and there at the hill.
“My children have to stay at home as they are suffering from runny nose and coughing,” he added.
Based on state Fire and Rescue department statistics, there were 2,086 open fires since January including 187 cases this month.
Malaysia Meteorology department will execute cloud seeding operation if the API readings exceeded 100 for more than 72 hours.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: Rain brought relief to several districts in the west coast and interior of Sabah.
State Meteorological Department acting director Lim Ze Hui said more rain was expected in the coming weeks.
“Rain was observed in Beaufort, Tambunan, Kota Belud and Tuaran on Tuesday afternoon, while it rained at night in Papar, Kota Kinabalu and Penampang.
“Some areas experienced a downpour while in others were just drizzled."
Because of the rain, cases of open fires had reduced by 50 per cent.
On Tuesday, State Fire and Rescue Department received only 33 calls on bushfires compared with the daily average of 60.
The department had received more than 2,000 calls on open fires since January, including 255 calls this month.
Meanwhile, a 200ha area of the Binsuluk Forest Reserve in Beaufort was still burning while the fire in the Kimanis/Bongawan and Jalan Membakut/Bongawan forest areas were put out yesterday morning.
Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the fire which destroyed 50ha of jungle at Padas Damit Forest Reserve had been doused.
“Those fires were caused by farmers’ activities who carried out open burning that spread to the forest reserves,” he said in a statement today.
Department of Environment spokesman said the Air Pollutant index (API) readings at Beaufort, Papar and Kuala Penyu had fallen to moderate level yesterday and expected to drop further.
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