Haze hits Klang Valley

PETALING JAYA: The haze is back, enveloping major parts of the Klang Valley and several areas on the west coast and south of Peninsular Malaysia.
According to a statement by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, the haze is caused by the effects of hotspot areas in central and south Sumatra.
The Air Pollutant Index (API) recording at 11am today showed moderate air quality in 21 areas. No area recorded unhealthy levels.
Among the areas affected were Klang Valley, Nilai, Seremban, Malacca, Larkin and Muar in Johor.
In his statement, Palanivel said there was no land or forest burning cases reported locally, which could have caused the haze.
He said based on a report by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) in Singapore, hotspot areas were detected through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) 18 satellite imagery, on Oct 6.
Ninety-seven hotspot areas were detected in Sumatra and one in Kalimantan in Indonesia.
Based on these satellite observations, there is a haze circle in central and south Sumatra and central Kalimantan.
Apart from this, a hotspot was detected in Sarawak while other hotspot areas found in the country would be investigated and appropriate enforcement action taken, Palanivel added.
"The director-general of the Department of Environment had written to the Ministry of Environment in Indonesia on Sept 15 to state our worry over the increase in the number of hotspot areas in south Sumatra and Kalimantan," Palanivel said in the statement.
Malaysia is urging the Indonesian authorities to take preventive action against land and forest fires, which causes transboundary haze.