Visibility has improved in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, after overnight downpour but the air quality level remains unhealthy, according to officials manning emergency operations centres today.

Yesterday, Sarawak was hit by smog originating across the border in Indonesia's Kalimantan, with visibility dropping to only 800 metres from the previous day's 1.2km.

As a precautionary measure, many residents, especially motorcyclists and workers in construction sites, had decided to wear masks.

According to the Department of Environment (DOE), seven areas in Sarawak were yesterday declared to be in the 'unhealthy" category, meaning the Air Pollutant Index was between 101 and 200. These areas are Kuching, Sibu, Sarikei, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Kapit and Petra Jaya (Kuching).

Meanwhile, after chairing an emergency high-level meeting of officials including those from the Meteorological Department, the Department of Environment, Natural Resources and Environment Board, police and armed forces Deputy Chief Minister Dr George Chan Hong Nam said the state government would be distributing masks in Kapit, Sibu and Samarahan.

One million masks would be distributed by the relevant government agencies, with priority to be given to school children, institutions and people with health problems.

Help centres activated

This was the same measure taken during the 1997 haze crisis in Sarawak. Then, the state was badly hit with the Air Pollutant Index at an all-time high of 800 and visibility on Kuching roads was no more than a few hundred metres.

The government has since decided not to release the index figures for fear that it would cause undue alarm, especially among tourists.

In addition, relief and disaster management committee operations rooms will be activated at the divisional level in anticipation of the worsening condition in the central and western part of the state.

Chan said five operations centres would be opened for members of the public to obtain the latest information on the haze situation.

Officials manning some of these centres told malaysiakini today that air quality in Kuching remained at an unhealthy level despite the early morning rain, but refused to reveal the pollutant index readings.

"Visibility has definitely improved," one official said.

No plans to release API readings

Chan told the media that cloud-seeding operations was being carried out since Monday. There were slight thunderstorms over areas in Kuching around four this morning.

"The haze situation seems to be worsening in Sarawak, especially in the central zone and western part of Sarawak and our meeting today is to get everything ready should the situation deteriorate," the deputy chief minister said.

Chan told reporters that the state disaster relief committee would not release the API readings because they change constantly and this could easily mislead the people.

"We are always transparent but sometimes we don't release certain information that may tend to confuse," he said, adding that the state government was only acting in the best interest of the people in deciding what information to be released.

To reinforce his point, he said the Natural Resources and Environment Board would set up a website soon to provide the latest information on the haze situation to the public.

Meanwhile, Chan said if the haze should become worse, the state government will call off the state-level National Day celebrations in Sarikei on Aug 31.

Chan also said the police had also been empowered to arrest anyone caught for open burning. He did not however say whether this would apply to native farmers who have taken advantage of the dry season to burn their farms for cultivation.

Road accident

Meanwhile, the Borneo Post , a local English-language daily, reported today that the worsening haze had probably claimed its first victims when two shipyard workers riding a motor-cycle rammed into an embankment "probably due to poor visibility at Ting Sing Road in Sibu on Tuesday night".

The two were returning home after overtime work at Sungei Bidut shipyard area when the mishap occurred.

According to the newspaper report today, the two were trying to cut through the embankment erected near the just-completed Igan Bridge when the motorcycle rammed into it at about 10pm.

Villagers said the haze at the time was thick and visibility was poor.