Unhealthy API readings in

Selangor; air quality worsens

in Kuala Lumpur
BY HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM






PETALING JAYA: Seven areas recorded unhealthy air pollutant index
(API) readings as of 9am Tuesday, according to the Department of
Environments website.
In Selangor, Banting recorded the highest API reading at 132 followed
by Port Klang (129). The other places in the state include Petaling Jaya
(128), Shah Alam (125) and Kuala Selangor (107).
The API level worsened in Kuala Lumpur with Batu Muda recording
unhealthy level of 116 from 92 on Monday while Nilai in Negri Sembilan
registered API level of 109.
Most parts in Malaysia recorded moderate levels of API readings.
An API reading between 0 and 50 is considered good; 51 to 100,
moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy; and 301
and above, hazardous.

Air quality worsening in
Selangor, Seremban





PETALING JAYA: Unhealthy air levels have been recorded in Port Klang, Nilai,
Banting, Putrajaya, Cheras, Kuala Selangor and Serem-ban.

According to the Department of Environments website, the air pollutant index (API)
in Port Klang was 142 as at 5pm yesterday.

At noon, the reading in Port Klang was 132, progressively increasing to 133 at 1pm,
135 at 2pm, 136 at 3pm and 139 at 4pm. In Nilai, the API reading was 107 from noon
to 2pm, rising to 108 at 3pm, 112 at 4pm and 118 at 5pm.

Banting experienced moderate API readings before 2pm but the air quality worsened
to 113 at 3pm, 135 at 4pm and 107 at 5pm.

Putrajaya, Cheras, Kuala Selan-gor and Seremban experienced moderate readings
early yesterday but the air quality worsened later.

At 5pm yesterday, API levels in Putrajaya was 110, Cheras 108, Kuala Selangor 104
and Seremban 102.

An API reading of between 0 and 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to
200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and 301 and above hazardous.
Unhealthy API levels may cause chest discomfort, coughs and shortness of breath.

Meteorological Department national weather centre director Muhammad Helmi
Abdullah said it was not unusual for parts of Malaysia to experience hazy conditions
during this time of the year as it was the dry season due to the end of the north-east
monsoon season.






Poor air quality in Muar


KUALA LUMPUR: Poor air quality is recorded in Muar, Johor with the
Air Pollutant Index (API) recorded at unhealthy level at 113 as 8am on
Thursday.
According to the Department of Environment (DOE) website, 23 areas
recorded good API readings while 27 at moderate level.
Among areas having good API readings were Labuan (39), Paka,
Terengganu (26), Tanjung Malim, Perak (48), Kota Tinggi and Larkin
Lama, Johor (28 and 39 respectively).
Moderate API readings were registered in, among others, Batu Muda
and Cheras, Kuala Lumpur (59 and 54 respectively), Putrajaya (68),
Shah Alam (58), Banting (53), Sibu, Sarawak (53), and Bakar Arang,
Sungai Petani, Kedah (69).
API readings of between 0 and 50 are categorised as good, 51 to 100
(moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy) and
300 and above (dangerous).
The public can refer to the DOE's portal apims.doe.gov.my to obtain API
readings in their respective areas. Bernama






Strong quake hits near
Solomon Islands; tsunami
warning cancelled


(Reuters) - A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands on
Sunday morning, triggering a tsunami warning that was later cancelled, according to
U.S. government agencies, and there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake was centred 100 km (60 miles) south of Kira Kira on the island of Makira
at a depth of 29 km (18 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

"So far we have received no reports of damage," said Constable Taylor Fugo from
Kira Kira police. "The people responded very well to the (tsunami) warning. They all
went up the hills and have been watching and waiting for advice."

A tsunami warning for the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu was
cancelled after only very small tsunami wave activity, just a couple of centimetres,
had been measured at two reading stations near the epicentre, the Pacific Tsunami
Warning Center said.

An earlier tsunami watch for Fiji, Australia, Indonesia and nearby areas was cancelled
after the earthquake was revised down from its original magnitude of 8.3.

A series of aftershocks followed the quake, the strongest a magnitude 5.9, hit the
region shortly afterwards, the USGS said.
The Solomon Islands straddles the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire," a highly
seismically active zone where different plates on the earth's crust meet and create a
large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.

A powerful 8.0 magnitude quake in 2013 in a similar area generated a local tsunami
that killed at least five people.
(Reporting by Lincoln Feast in Sydney; Editing by David Gregorio and Lisa
Shumaker)




Two lanes of landslide hit
stretch of Jalan Mahameru
reopened


KUALA LUMPUR: Two of the three lanes of Jalan Mahameru heading
from the direction of the Parliament building to the Putra World Trade
Centre were reopened to traffic on Wednesday after the stretch of road
was closed following a landslide near Bukit Tunku on Tuesday evening.
A traffic police spokesman said traffic flow was smooth after the lanes
were reopened.
A landslide at 5.20pm, Tuesday caused earth to cascade down a slope
to the road, forcing closure of the road and a traffic build-up for as long
as 10 kilometres.
No one was reported injured in the incident. Bernama








Hawaii tsunami advisory
prompted by earthquake off
Chile


KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (Reuters) - A tsunami advisory has been issued for Hawaii
after an earthquake of magnitude 8.2 struck off the coast of Chile on Tuesday, but
waves are not expected to flood inland areas in the U.S. state, officials said.

The advisory level issued for Hawaii by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is less
significant than a tsunami warning, which would be prompted by expectations of
widespread flooding.

"It's clear that we're not going to go to a warning for Hawaii," Gerard Fryer, a
geophysicist with the center, told reporters.
The initial wave from the earthquake off the coast of Chile is expected to reach
Hawaii at 3:24 a.m. (9:24 a.m. ET/1324 GMT)
on Wednesday, the center said.

"What we're really worried about is currents," Fryer said. "And occasionally you get a
larger wave so it sweeps up the beach or something. If you're not ready for it you can
get into difficulty and if you're in the water you can get banged about."
Sea level changes and strong currents may occur along all the coasts of Hawaii,
endangering swimmers and boaters, as well as people on beaches, harbours and
marinas, the center said in its advisory.
"We're sure the waves are not going to be large enough to cause any flooding," Fryer
said.

The advisory for Hawaii will last until around 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Fryer
said.

In Chile, five people have died following the massive quake that struck the north of
the Andean country, Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake generated a large tsunami with
the biggest wave reported at more than 7 feet (2.3 m). The Chilean navy said the first
big wave hit the country's coast within 45 minutes of the earthquake.
(Reporting by Karin Stanton in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis,;
Editing by Ron Popeski and Clarence Fernandez)





Penang forms group to tackle
water contamination






GEORGE TOWN: A river and marine pollution task force has been set up to tackle
pollution in water bodies of Penang, said State Local Government, Traffic
Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow.

According to Chow, the task force was formed following several cases of polluted
water in Batu Ferringhi and other beaches in the popular tourism belt.

Chow said the task force comprised representatives from the state Drainage and
Irrigation Department (DID), Penang Municipal Council, Seberang Jaya Municipal
Council and the Department of Environment.
Others include representatives from district offices, the state Economic Planning Unit,
Public Works Department, state Fisheries Department, state Agriculture Department
and state Veterinary Services Department.

They will check for the source when water pollution is detected whether from the
indiscriminate disposal of garbage from wet markets or if a sewage treatment plant is
responsible.

They will also look for industrial or commercial waste.

They will then present their findings and also propose ways to tackle the issue,
added Chow during a press conference here yesterday.
On improving drainage, Chow said an allocation had been approved for DID to carry
out desilting of rivers in Batu Ferringhi, Sungai Kechil and Sungai Kelian.