Haze: Melaka Gov't Activates District Disaster Management Committees With Immediate Effect
The Melaka Chief Minister's Department's corporate communications division also said that the committees were required to take proactive measures according to guidelines set by the National Haze Action Plan.
'The Melaka government takes note of the haze that has hit several areas in the state, which is believed to be cross-border haze carried by south-westerly winds.
'Continuous monitoring of the Air Pollution Index (API) is being conducted by the Melaka Diaster Operations Control Centre with the help of the Melaka Environment Department (DOE) and the National Disaster Control Centre under the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA),' the department said in a statement today.
The highest API readings recorded in Melaka as of 2 am were Alor Gajah (Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 with a reading of 157), Bukit Rambai (PM2.5 with a reading of 94) and Bandaraya Melaka (PM2.5 with a reading of 86), indicating that Alor Gajah API was at unhealthy level, while Bukit Rambai and Bandaraya Melaka were at medium levels.
The state government also advised the public to take precautionary measures in ensuring their general health.
'High risk groups like children, the elderly and individuals suffering from respiratory problems are advised to reduce outdoor activities for the time being. The public is also advised not to carry out any open burning,' it said in a statement today.
In PEKAN, the Pahang government said it is prepared to implement school closures in the state if the API readings exceed the very unhealthy threshold.
State Local Government, Housing, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Datuk Mohammad Fakhruddin Mohd Ariff said this in response to reports of haze affecting two areas —Temerloh and Balok Baru in Kuantan — which recorded unhealthy API readings today.
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