Published: Thursday February 7, 2013 MYT 9:48:00 PM

Environment Ministry gets ready for hot and dry season

KUALA LUMPUR: The Meteorological Department has reported that the El Nino and La Nina influence until September is under control.

The situation would cause the national weather to return to normal with average rain distributions nationwide, except in the Sri Aman and Kapit Divisions in Sarawak, which would be a bit dry from April to June.

The department's report was tabled at the National Haze Steering Committee - chaired by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas.

The department took the initiative to make early preparation against haze during the hot and dry season.

According to the ministry's statement Thursday, it would be the norm for the Southwest Monsoon to result in hot and dry weather from May to September.

In this regard, it said, it was crucial that haze prevention effort be boosted, namely to check open burning in fire-prone areas, especially peat soils and peat jungles, which were difficult to control.

To overcome cross-boundary haze, cooperation with Asean countries would continue to be improved to ensure monitoring and prevention of peat jungle and peat soil fires, it said.

As a measure to face the hot and dry season, the public is urged to put out small fires and to report fires to the fire and rescue department at 03-88880036 and the Department of Environment at toll-free line, 1-800-88-2727.

-- BERNAMA

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