Cloud seeding planned as haze worsens in Sarawak

KUCHING: Cloud seeding operations are slated for September 3-5 to combat Sarawak's deteriorating haze and water crisis, announced Deputy Premier Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas. The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has verified optimal weather conditions for the initiative. Uggah, serving as Sarawak Disaster Management Committee chairman, disclosed that a meeting will convene the following day to finalize operational specifics.

Reservoirs managed by Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) are slated for priority attention due to their critical role in the state's power infrastructure. Subsequently, water treatment plant reservoirs with critically low levels, such as those in Simunjan, Lingga, Spaoh, and Lichok, will be targeted. Four of these plants had to halt operations due to insufficient water levels, according to the Rural Water Supply Department.

Uggah clarified that cloud seeding necessitates suitable cloud formations and cannot be executed randomly. The Air Pollutant Index (API) readings taken at 10 am today indicated fluctuating air quality, with several regions designated as unhealthy to hazardous. The state disaster committee, Department of Environment, and Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board will persist in monitoring the haze, encompassing smoke originating from Indonesian Kalimantan wildfires carried to Sarawak via prevailing winds.

Uggah cautioned that an emergency declaration, contingent on the API reaching 500, would require federal government approval and would only impact the specific region, not the entire state.