The haze which hit Kedah and Penang yesterday seemed to have cleared a little today, with the air quality improving to the moderate level.  

The Department of Environment (DOE) website reported that the Air Pollution Index (API) in Bakar Arang, Sungai Petani, Kedah, had improved to 65, as at 11am today, from 104 yesterday.

The API in Seberang Jaya 2, Penang, had improved to 73 as at 11am today, from 103 yesterday.

The API in the other states were either moderate or good.

The air pollution level is categorised as hazardous when the reading is 301 or more; very unhealthy at 201 to 300; unhealthy at 101 to 200; moderate at 51 to 100 and good at zero to 50.

In MALACCA, DOE director-general Halimah Hassan said the department conducted patrols and acted against open burning to mitigate the haze. 

“Measures also included making the people realise that open burning can undermine air quality as well as prosecuting those who violated the law.

“The people are also advised to keep face masks at hand,” she told a news conference.

Earlier, Halimah attended the opening of an automatic air quality monitoring station by Malacca Housing, Local Government and Environment Committee chairperson Ismail Othman at Sekolah Tinggi Melaka.

Two of the 52 automatic air quality monitoring stations in the country are located in Malacca, one at the school and the other at the Bukit Rambai Industrial Site.

Halimah said the country was expected to experience drought and haze up to early October.

- Bernama