Classes in the afternoon as Miri haze worsens
Jimmy TeohPublished: Apr 28, 2005 3:50 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Schools badly affected by the current haze in northern Sarawak are allowed to conduct classes in the afternoon, State Education Director Dr Adi Badiozaman Tuah said.
Schools badly affected by the current haze in northern Sarawak are allowed to conduct classes in the afternoon, State Education Director Dr Adi Badiozaman Tuah said.
"Reports from Miri revealed that it is only hazy in the morning; the situation improves in the afternoon. Therefore, I have instructed schools in Miri to start classes later. For schools with double sessions, there is nothing much we can do," he told malaysiakini today.
According to Adi, the schools were also advised to use their discretion on whether outdoor activities for students should be conducted or not.
The worst affected areas stretch from Kuala Baram to Tudan. The haze appears to be an annual occurrence in northern Sarawak.
On measures taken to safeguard the health of students, Adi assured that there is enough supply of masks for students.
Yesterday, a 16-year-old girl and 19-year-old boy from SMK Lutong were rushed to Miri Hospital for breathing difficulty.
The worst affected schools are SK Tudan, SK and SMK Merbau and SK Kuala Baram I and II, with visibility reported at between 50-100m in the morning.
The Air Pollutant Index in Miri has been classified as unhealthy by the Department of Environment (DOE) while USA National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA 16) satellite detected 60 hotspots in Borneo, mainly in Sabah and northern Sarawak.
Wild fires raging
Meanwhile, Miri Disaster Relief Committee chairperson Ose Muran said that everything possible would be carried out to contain wild fires occurring mostly on privately-owned lands.
Fires were said to be raging until midnight Tuesday in some areas, said Ose who is also Resident of Miri.
But it appeared that the Miri Fire and Rescue Department is handicapped by the lack of manpower and equipment to handle the fires spread over 250 acres.
Miri fire chief Awang Farbu Abdul Hamid revealed that his department has to make full use of their strength including night duty staff to send 60 men to Kuala Baram and 20 to Lambir areas.
"But we will need at least 170 men to fight the blaze of such a scale," Miri fire chief Awang Farbu Abdul Hamid conceded.
What is disappointing, Awang said, is that some big companies who are land owners are doing very little to prevent the fire from spreading.
JIMMY TEOH is malaysiakini's Sarawak-based stringer.
"Reports from Miri revealed that it is only hazy in the morning; the situation improves in the afternoon. Therefore, I have instructed schools in Miri to start classes later. For schools with double sessions, there is nothing much we can do," he told malaysiakini today.
According to Adi, the schools were also advised to use their discretion on whether outdoor activities for students should be conducted or not.
The worst affected areas stretch from Kuala Baram to Tudan. The haze appears to be an annual occurrence in northern Sarawak.
On measures taken to safeguard the health of students, Adi assured that there is enough supply of masks for students.
Yesterday, a 16-year-old girl and 19-year-old boy from SMK Lutong were rushed to Miri Hospital for breathing difficulty.
The worst affected schools are SK Tudan, SK and SMK Merbau and SK Kuala Baram I and II, with visibility reported at between 50-100m in the morning.
The Air Pollutant Index in Miri has been classified as unhealthy by the Department of Environment (DOE) while USA National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA 16) satellite detected 60 hotspots in Borneo, mainly in Sabah and northern Sarawak.
Wild fires raging
Meanwhile, Miri Disaster Relief Committee chairperson Ose Muran said that everything possible would be carried out to contain wild fires occurring mostly on privately-owned lands.
Fires were said to be raging until midnight Tuesday in some areas, said Ose who is also Resident of Miri.
But it appeared that the Miri Fire and Rescue Department is handicapped by the lack of manpower and equipment to handle the fires spread over 250 acres.
Miri fire chief Awang Farbu Abdul Hamid revealed that his department has to make full use of their strength including night duty staff to send 60 men to Kuala Baram and 20 to Lambir areas.
"But we will need at least 170 men to fight the blaze of such a scale," Miri fire chief Awang Farbu Abdul Hamid conceded.
What is disappointing, Awang said, is that some big companies who are land owners are doing very little to prevent the fire from spreading.
JIMMY TEOH is malaysiakini's Sarawak-based stringer.
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