DOE ready to deal with open burning issues

PUTRAJAYA - The Department of Environment (DOE) has prepared several measures mainly to address the open burning issue that among others causes air quality deterioration as well as local haze that can jeopardise public health.

It said during the Southwest Monsoon, usually from May to September, there is an occurrence of thunderstorms and heavy rains but towards the tail end these are expected to decrease, with most states experiencing more days without rain.

"During this dry weather, there are concerns that there will be an increase in the incidence of open burning, especially involving peatland areas and waste disposal sites," according to the department in a statement here today.

The statement said that there is no denying that emissions from industrial activities and motor vehicles also contribute to air deterioration, especially in the Klang Valley and industrial areas, but from DOE analysis and records, the open burning of biomass is the main cause of local haze.

The DOE also said that a number of measures are being taken to deal with possible fire incidents, including increasing monitoring and patrolling operations by land and using drones to prevent open burning activities.

The DOE said stern action will be taken in places where fires occur, and it will identify the landowners of the areas involved so that legal action can be taken under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

There is also cooperation with the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) to implement measures to control fires that occur, in addition to constantly monitoring the readings and trends of the Air Pollutant Index (API) from time to time for further action.

According to the DOE, public awareness campaigns will be actively held via community programmes as well as social media and the media, especially for farmers and villagers to not carry out burning activities during hot and dry weather.

In order to deal with the hot and dry weather, every agency involved in haze disaster management has also increased prevention efforts on open burning activities that have the potential to cause haze at the local level.

Additionally, state and local governments as well as all landowners are advised to closely monitor areas that easily and frequently burn, such as landfill sites, forests, peatlands, fields, as well as agricultural and industrial areas, and to take measures to prevent encroachment by irresponsible parties causing open burning.

Meanwhile, the DOE said Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad today paid a visit to the Johan Setia 'Green Revolution Area' in Klang, Selangor to see monitoring methods and actions in dealing with and preventing fires in fire-prone areas which are peatlands, carried out under the Peatland Fire Prevention programme. - BERNAMA