KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 (Bernama) — The Department of Environment (DOE) is stepping up enforcement against open burning nationwide, with 3,567 compounds issued under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 as of September this year.
DOE deputy director-general (Development) Azuri Azizah Saedon said this was part of the department’s ongoing efforts to curb open burning, which could contribute to deteriorating air quality and haze.
She said the DOE has also intensified air quality monitoring, pollution detection, complaint management and continuous inspections nationwide as part of efforts to address the haze issue.
“Through the National Haze Action Plan (PTJK), a whole-of-government approach is adopted to ensure that haze management is carried out in an integrated manner according to the respective roles and jurisdictions of the agencies involved.
“The DOE continues to strengthen preventive measures through the ongoing open burning prevention operation patrols nationwide, to enhance early detection and enable preventive action to be taken before an incident becomes more serious,” she told reporters after the DOE Engagement Session on Tackling Haze: Enforcement and the Role of the Media here today.
Azuri Azizah said the DOE received 11,301 complaints related to air pollution from January to Sept 30, with 84.3 per cent involving open burning.
She said the DOE is optimistic that measures to curb domestic burning could help control air quality based on experience and the data gathered.
However, she said in the event of unavoidable external factors, monitoring based on the Air Pollutant Index (API) data would continue to be carried out to assess air quality status and ensure accurate information is conveyed to the public.
Azuri Azizah said close monitoring is also being conducted on high-risk areas, particularly peatlands, which are prone to catching fire, with 1,524.13 hectares of the country’s approximately 2.56 million hectares of peatland recorded as having burned between January and September.
“During this period, the DOE conducted 5,647 patrols and 357 drone flights, in addition to putting in place 570 fire-control facilities in peatland areas, including drainage blocks, tube wells, retention ponds and observation towers,” she said.
Meanwhile, Azuri Azizah said the burning of garden waste such as leaves and tree cuttings from small-scale gardening activities in rural areas is permitted under certain circumstances, but stressed that such activities should be avoided during haze.
She said open burning during haze could affect air quality and have an impact on the public, particularly those suffering from asthma.
“Under our laws, the burning of garden waste from small-scale gardening in rural areas is actually permitted. But not when there is haze.
“In villages and rural areas, we focus more on raising awareness among the villagers and neighbours by distributing flyers, urging the community not to burn and reduce the burning of leaves and other garden waste during haze,” she said.
However, she said a stricter approach is taken against burning activities in industrial areas, factories and waste disposal sites, including preparing investigation papers for submission to the Attorney General’s Chambers for court action.
— BERNAMA