New Delhi, Nov. 13 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed Punjab and Haryana governments to inform it on the steps taken to prevent stubble burning cases and said it will take up the alleged issue of non-functional monitoring stations next week. The court was hearing a number of pleas on the air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region even as the air quality index (AQI) stayed in the 'severe' category for a second day. Giving them a week's time to file a response, a bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai, said, "We direct the Punjab and Haryana governments to file a response with regard to what steps have been taken by them for prohibiting stubble burning in their states." The order came after the amicus curiae, senior advocate Aparajita Singh, flagged data she had received from a NASA scientist claiming that farm fires in Punjab were on the rise. Further, the bench was told about its November 3 order seeking response from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the steps it had taken to ensure the air quality does not worsen any further. Advocate Shibani Ghosh, who was assisting the amicus, told the court that the CPCB was required to respond to news reports that said only 9 of 37 monitoring stations in Delhi were functional in the days just after Diwali. Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, told the court that both CPCB and CAQM had filed their responses to the earlier order. On issue of non-functional monitoring stations, ASG said, "Our officers are present in court for any clarification." The bench directed this matter to be taken up on Monday. By Monday, the amicus informed the court that there is a possibility that the AQI could cross into the 'severe plus' category (above 450). She cited the report from the NASA scientist which said that farm fire figures may be higher than those shared by Punjab and Haryana. The scientist, she told the court, said the burning of stubble appeared to be taking place after the satellite that maps these fires pass over the states. Casting doubts on this theory, the court, said, "Do you want us to believe that all farmers will wait for the satellite to move?" The amicus pointed to media reports from last year that said farmers were being instructed by local authorities in Punjab to burn the stubble after a particular time. "If this is true, it is alarming. The count of fires they are giving does not match the real count of fire spots," Singh added....