Dry spell: Divisional, district SDMCs instructed to be on standby
KUCHING (July 30): The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will hold a meeting to monitor the haze situation in Mukah and also address the water shortage affecting several villages.
According to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, the SDMC chairman, Sarawak is currently experiencing hot and dry weather, and thus, all divisional and district-level disaster management committees have been instructed to be on standby as this is a yearly occurrence.
He said he received a report from the Mukah Resident on Monday and action had already been taken.
'Our directive was to monitor the situation.
'In Kuala Baram, we have directed Natural Resources and Environment (NREB) to deploy their drones,' he said when met by reporters after the launch of Borneo International Integrity Summit (BIIS) 2025 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) yesterday.
Uggah said the strategy meant to detect smoke early, especially in the case of peat fires.
'The strategy is always to identify the smoke because this peat fire; if we wait to see flames, then a big area has already been burned.
'That's why we're using the strategy to identify using drones to see the smoke and take action.'
Uggah also reminded all resident and district offices to monitor villages facing water shortages, and to work closely with Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB).
'This is a serious issue and we have to make sure that our machinery is prepared to face the situation on the ground,' said Uggah.
The Deputy Premier also advised the public against open-burning, warning that small fires could easily lead to larger ones.
He added that the Health Department would provide guidance, should the Air Pollutant Index (API) reach unhealthy levels and urged everyone to take care of their health.
'Please cooperate, everyone including the public, to make sure that we can prevent open-burning. It can be controlled,' he stressed.
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