The science, technology and environment ministry has said that burning can only be carried out during the hottest part of the day, and must be supervised at all times. It has also specified that stringent rules must be followed to carry out open burning.
However, the ministry thinks that burning for shifting cultivation, religious
rites, training, disease control and the burning of paddy husks and sugarcane
leaves should be allowed. Recently, minister Datuk Law Hicng Ding announced the contents of the draft Environmental Quality (Prescribed Activities) (Open Burning) Order. He said that burning by small farmers in remote areas is also permitted with conditions attached, adding that
other type of burning was prohibited. "Open burning for these prescribed activities
will also only be allowed if the Air Pollutant Index (API) is below 100," he said.
Each activity had its own conditions to fulfil and breach of the guidelines will lead to prosecution by the ministry, he said. "For example, those who want to burn paddy husks and sugarcane leaves must first inform the nearest relevant authority, erect fire breakers and monitor wind directions, and can only burn within a limited area," Law said.
The guidelines were formulated after much consultations, he said. According to him, the draft guidelines will be circulated among the state governments and the department of environment to be implemented immediately.
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