Sharing National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s image of latest incidents of stubble burning in neighbouring States — Haryana, Punjab and Pakistan, Delhi Environment Minister Kailash Gehlot has written to Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences (MoES) Dr Harsh Vardhan to share MoES's data so that Delhi Government can study about the total contribution of biomass burning in escalating pollution in Delhi and its adjoining areas to curb air pollution.

Evidently, Delhi's air quality was put under 'very poor' category on the third consecutive day while System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)'s forecast said that  air quality in the city will remain 'poor' for the next three days.

The stubble burning activity in Haryana, Panjab and nearby border regions have shown a slight increasing trend over the last 24 hours.

Citing stubble burning activities a major reason, Gehlot said pollution in Delhi, especially winter months, has always remained a cause of concern for the Delhi Government. "Various steps have been taken during the last years which have yielded positive results, I am happy to inform you that pollution level in Delhi has come down by 25 per cent as compared to the previous years," letter stated. 

"As you are aware stubble burning in neighboring states of Delhi during the month of November has always contributed significantly to the higher PM 2.5 level in Delhi," Gehlot wrote to Dr Vardhan.

Quoting SAFAR's observation on crop burning in Haryana and Punjab, Gehlot said. "Stubble burning contribute six percent in Delhi's air and as SAFAR has the technology to monitor the pollution caused by the burning of crop residue, we a request to MoEs share the data," he said.

Meanwhile, SAFAR also cited slow surface winds as primary reasons for low dispersion of pollutants, SAFAR said that the overall air quality of  Delhi is in the higher end of the poor category and touched very poor category on Monday night for a brief period, as PM 2.5 the lead pollutant, had spiked.

SAFAR in its forecast stated, "The surface winds are slow and variable with wind direction at the surface and transport height (the first one-kilometer boundary layer) are south-southwesterly. Which is not quite favorable for the efficient transport of the fire plume towards Delhi".