Air quality in six locations in Klang Valley and Perak record unhealthy levels

Six locations in the Klang Valley, Putrajaya and Perak recorded unhealthy air quality this evening.

Air quality continued to deteriorate in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya as air pollutant index (API) for Cheras and the administrative capital registered a reading of 105 and 110, respectively, as at 5pm today.

Port Klang, which had consistently recorded unhealthy readings today, recorded 131 while Banting was at 117.

Outside the Klang Valley, air quality in Seri Manjung registered 107 while Kg Air Putih in Taiping recorded an API of 102.

Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam are hovering near unhealthy levels, at 95 and 98 respectively while Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur recorded a reading of 91.

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 according to the Department of Environment.

In a Bernama report last week, Malaysian Meteorological Department (JMM) director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail said the current air quality had no links with the eruption of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatera, Indonesia or other outside factors.

Instead, the unhealthy readings have been traced back to domestic sources such as smoke from forest fires, factories, vehicle emissions and the open burning of land.

The hot and dry weather, without any rainfall for several days, had only made the situation worse, Che Gayah had said.

Earlier today, the authorities carried out cloud seeding which saw slight rain in various parts of the Klang Valley. – March 3, 2014.