Haze: NSC asked to declare emergency in Muar

Plans are afoot to declare an emergency in Muar, Johor following the deteriorating haze situation at Johor's royal city after it recorded a hazardous level in the Air Pollutant Index (API) this morning.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel said Department of Environment (DOE) director-general Halimah Hassan had asked the National Security Council (NSC) director to declare emergency in Muar today.

Palanivel (right) in his Facebookposting today said the haze situation in three cities in Malaysia including Muar had reached hazardous level.
Muar, according to him, had reached an API of 750.

The API at Muar reported by Department of Environment (DoE) as at 7 am today was at 746.

Two cities in Malacca also were in hazardous API territory as at 7am today namely Bandaraya Melaka and Bukit Rambai, with readings of 357 and 334 respectively.

Palanivel said the highest API ever recorded in Malaysia was in Sarawak in 1997 with a reading of 860.

He also said that the NSC would issue instructions for residents to stay indoors and direct schools in several states to remain closed.

"NSC should look at cloud seeding operations immediately," he said.
According to the API, a reading of 0-5 denotes good air quality; 51-100 (moderate); 101-200 (Unhealthy); 201-300 (Very Unhealthy); > 301 (hazardous to human health).

- Bernama