June 03, 2009 21:49 PM

DOE: It's Hazy, Not Haze

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 (Bernama) -- It just looks hazy, but there's no haze in Malaysia at the moment, according to the director-General of the Department of Environment (DOE), Datuk Rosnani Ibarahim.

"Since it is the dry season now, the air becomes dry and hazy but it doesn't mean that haze is coming back," she told Bernama when contacted.

Rosnani advised the public to refrain from all open-burning activities because the fire would spread fast in the dry season.

"Although our department carries out surveillance, this time we'll do it more intensively to ensure that people refrain from open burning," she said.

Rosnani said so far there were less than 10 hot spots in the country.

Based on the DOE figures, there are 21 sites where the Air Pollutant Index (API) is over 50 and Cheras ranks among the most polluted area followed by Port Klang.

The API variation of 0 to 50 shows that the status in an area is good, 51 to 100 means moderate, 101 to 200 considered unhealthy, and 201 and above, very unhealthy.



-- BERNAMA

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