Malaysian skies shrouded in haze

Malaysian skies shrouded in haze

Thick haze has returned to shroud Malaysian skies in a yearly
occurrence brought on by dry weather as well as increased fires
in the Indonesian island of Sumatra, environmental officers said
on Wednesday.

The Department of Environment reported that satellite images
on Tuesday detected 49 hot spots -- areas showing high levels of
heat caused by burning -- in Sumatra, which were believed to be
forest fires.

"The air problem we are facing now is caused by the burnings
in Sumatra, but the dry spell is not helping as well," the
department spokesman told Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

She said a total of 34 air quality stations, mostly located in
the central Klang valley and the country's west coast nearing
Sumatra, reportedly had moderate Air Pollutant Index (API)
readings, while 16 others were classified as good.

An index reading of zero to 50 indicates good air quality, 51
to 100 means moderate and above 100 is unhealthy.

"There is an undeniable deterioration in air quality in those
areas.

"It's still under control, but we want to alert the public to
take precautions and refrain from carrying out any open burnings
which would worsen the problem," she said.

The dry spell was expected to last till August with light
showers expected only at the end of next week, the official told
DPA.

She said that "cloud-seeding" mechanisms were already on
standby to help induce rain should the air quality situation in
the country deteriorate further.

Hazy skies, a yearly problem faced in this area of the region,
follow the end of the rainy season and an increase in fires in
the Indonesian regions of Kalimantan and Sumatra, which are
attributed to both deliberate land clearance and accidental
outbreaks.

In 1997 and 1998, choking haze caused by forest fires in
Indonesia enveloped the region, causing serious health and
traffic hazards and disrupting airline schedules.

The haze then caused an estimated US$9.3 billion in economic
losses. -- DPA