Open burning the main cause of local haze, says DoE

 

Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (in dark cap), the minister for natural resources, environment and climate change, being briefed on a peatland fire prevention programme in Johan Setia, Klang, Selangor, today. (NRECC pic)

PETALING JAYA: Open burning is the main cause of local haze, compared to emissions from industrial activities and motor vehicles, the environment department said today.

The department said industrial and vehicle emissions, especially in the Klang Valley and industrial areas, were known to contribute to poor air quality but analysis of its data and records showed open burning of biomass to be the main cause of local haze.

It said several measures had been prepared to deal with opening burning, especially during the dry weather at the tail end of the southwest monsoon, Bernama reported.

“During this dry weather, there are concerns that there will be an increase in the incidence of open burning, especially involving peatland areas and waste disposal sites,” the department said in a statement here today.

Increased monitoring and patrols by land and air, using drones, would be conducted to prevent open burning activities, the department said.

Stern action will be taken in places where fires occur, and landowners would be identified so that legal action can be taken under the Environmental Quality Act.

The department said all agencies involved in haze disaster management had also increased prevention efforts on open burning while state and local governments and landowners have been advised to closely monitor areas such as landfill sites, forests, peatlands, fields, as well as agricultural and industrial areas, where open burning is likely to occur. - FMT