Graphics shows areas of coverage under Samarahan API station.
KUCHING: The air quality monitoring station in Samarahan is able to measure air pollutant index (API) up to Tebedu.
This was stated by Sarawak Disaster Management Committee Secretariat in a statement yesterday following public concerns that API reading in Samarahan did not reflect the exact air quality in Serian and Tebedu following thick haze there in the past few days.
“What is the radius of coverage under the Samarahan API Station? This is the explanation.
“The station located at the Samarahan District Office can measure API reading of the transboundary haze up to 50km radius. Areas under its coverage are Tebedu, Gedong, Simunjan, Serian, Padawan, Asajaya, Sadong Jaya, Samarahan and Beratok,” said the statement issued by the secretariat head Major Ismail Mahedin yesterday.
On Wednesday, Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus had called on the Department of Environment to set up an air quality monitoring station in Serian.
He said Serian must have its own station to measure the exact Air Pollutant Index (API) for the division due to the seemingly worsening haze here.
He said Serian had to depend on API readings from the closest station located in Samarahan, but the reading could be disputed as not representing the real air quality in Serian.
Due to its close proximity to Indonesia, he said the transboundary haze was now causing areas in the division to be engulfed in thick haze and low visibility levels.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah also said on Tuesday that Serian would soon have its own API station.
Uggah, who is also the Disaster Management Committee chairman, said the Department of Environment (DoE) would temporarily move the API station from SK Kuala Baram in Miri to Serian District police station.
The post Samarahan API station also covers Serian, Tebedu appeared first on Borneo Post Online.
Source: https://www.theborneopost.com/2019/09/20/samarahan-api-station-also-covers-serian-tebedu/