KUALA LUMPUR: The current haze situation in the country is unlikely to persist due to anticipated changes in wind patterns, reassured Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
This, said Nik Nazmi was based on the Malaysian Meteorological Department (Met Malaysia) forecast on the transboundary haze movement generated using prediction models.
Nik Nazmi added that the ministry through Met Malaysia, however, will carry out cloud seeding operations if the haze persists and the air quality exceeds unhealthy levels of the Air Pollution Index (API).
"If the API exceed unhealthy levels of 151 to 200 within 24 hours, cloud seeding operations under the coordination of the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) if the haze persists.
"However, the cloud seeding operations will also be subject to suitable atmospheric conditions," he said in Dewan Rakyat, today.
Meanwhile, Nik Nazmi added that up to Sept 30, a total of 3,922 complaints relating to open burning cases were received by the Department of Environment (DoE) with 80 per cent of cases involving the burning of domestic waste.
Of the total, he said six large-scale open burning cases in Peninsular and Sabah occurred between March and July this year, leading to the occurrence of local haze, including three cases of peatland fires and landfill site fires respectively.
"At the same time, based on the monitoring conducted by the ministry through DoE, the number of hotspots in the country has significantly reduced with 714 hotspots in 2023 compared to 2,091 hotspots in 2019 and 2,652 hotspots in 2015.
"(And) during these three years, the country has faced transboundary haze incidents. Hence, the decrease in the number of hotspots is a positive outcome of the integrated enforcement activities carried out by DoE."