Asean centre detects 295 hotspots in S’wak from May to Sept, 11,115 in neighbouring countries

KUCHING (Nov 29): The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) based in Singapore detected 295 hotspots in Sarawak between May and September this year, said Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

The Second Natural Resources and Urban Development Minister said ASMC also reported 11,115 hotspots were detected in neighbouring countries.

“Out of the 295 hotspots detected in Sarawak, inspections carried out by the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) on the ground found that 286 were open burning carried out by smallholders for subsistence purposes, two cases involved oil palm plantations, four cases were false alarms, while three cases could not be accessed.

“Verbal warnings have been given to the smallholders, while one case involving an oil palm plantation is under investigation,” he said while delivering his ministerial winding-up speech in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) here today.

The Deputy Premier also touched on the air quality pattern in Sarawak, which ranged from ‘Good’ to ‘Moderate’ between May and August this year.

“However, from Sept 1 to 5, the Southwest Monsoon winds have brought cross-border haze causing a deterioration in air quality in Kuching, Serian, and Sri Aman, which recorded the highest Air Pollutant Index (IPU) of 139, 152, and 155 respectively,” he said.

Awang Tengah said the state government, through NREB, has taken various preventive and enforcement measures to curb local haze, among which included ceasing the issuance of open burning permits and cancelling permits that have been issued if necessary.

He also said NREB is empowering the Strategic Plan for the Prevention of Peat Land Fires and Illegal Open Burning to deal with haze pollution in Sarawak.

On river water quality, Awang Tengah said under the 12th Malaysia Plan, NREB is implemented ‘The Study on the Carrying Capacity of Rivers in Sarawak for Pollution Management in the Batang Rajang Basin’.

“This study aims to evaluate and estimate the river carrying capacity to cover the pollution loadings as well as draw up a water quality management plan in the river,” he said.

Based on the monitoring of 66 rivers throughout Sarawak in 2022, he said 10 rivers were in the Water Quality Index (IKA) ‘clean’ category, 50 rivers in the ‘moderately polluted’ category, while six rivers were in the ‘contaminated’ category.

“The total number of rivers categorised as ‘clean’ and ‘moderately polluted’ had increased to 60 in 2022 compared to 44 in 2012, among which were Sungai Maong and Sungai Sekama in Kuching, Batang Oya in Mukah, and Batang Tatau in Bintulu,” he added.