4 min learnNew DelhiUp to date: Sep 8, 2026 04:18 AM IST
Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, topped the million-plus inhabitants class within the 2026 ‘Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan’ for its efforts to enhance air high quality. The town’s measures included including electrical autos to its waste assortment fleet, deploying mechanised sweepers to regulate street mud, and managing legacy waste.
Indore, India’s cleanest metropolis, secured the second spot, whereas Jabalpur completed third within the million-plus cities class. In the meantime, Chennai, Jamshedpur, Kota, Kolkata, and Madurai ranked within the backside 5 on this class, whereas Delhi and Mumbai ranked thirtieth and thirty seventh, respectively.
Though it received the highest prize within the million-plus cities class, Lucknow has but to satisfy the PM 10 annual ambient air high quality customary of 60 ug/m3 (micrograms/cubic metre) prescribed below the nationwide requirements, as per the NCAP portal. Nevertheless, because the programme started, annual PM10 concentrations have declined from 250 ug/m3 in 2017-18 to 137 ug/m3.
Jabalpur’s achievements included a waste-to-energy plant, 100 per cent waste assortment and scientific disposal, mechanised avenue sweeping, and promotion of electrical autos.
Final yr, Indore topped the million-plus population category, adopted by Jabalpur, whereas Agra and Surat collectively secured third place.
Within the class of cities with a inhabitants between 3-10 lakh folks, Rourkela topped, adopted by Firozabad and Guntur in joint second place, and Amravati in third place. In class 3 – cities with lower than 3 lakh folks – Kalinga Nagar received the primary place, Angul the second, and Talcher received the third place.
Key parameters
The rankings have been declared within the nationwide capital Monday, and Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal (NGT) chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava conferred the honours on all successful cities and cities. Awards have been additionally conferred for the primary time for municipal wards which have improved their air high quality.
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Efforts in waste administration, street mud management, mud administration from building and demolition waste, and reductions in vehicular and industrial air pollution are key parameters used to evaluate cities for closing rating. Enhancements within the discount of particulate matter 10 concentrations are given solely a 2.5 per cent weightage.
Cities and cities are divided into population-based classes: million-plus cities, cities with 3-10 lakh inhabitants, and cities with inhabitants below 3 lakh. A money prize and mementoes are awarded to the highest three cities or cities.
A state-level monitoring committee assesses the cities and cities, the Central Air pollution Management Board evaluates them, and unbiased committees confirm them within the subject.
The Nationwide Clear Air Programme was launched in January 2019 and covers 130 cities. The goal for these cities is to scale back particulate matter (PM) 10 focus by as much as 40 per cent by 2025-26 in contrast with 2019-20 ranges.
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A number of sources of funding disbursed by the Union Setting Ministry, fifteenth Finance Fee grants, and extra convergence of funds by the Ministry of Housing and City Affairs and the Ministry of Heavy Industries are used to enhance air high quality.
Of the 130 cities coated below NCAP, solely 14 met Nationwide Ambient Air High quality Requirements within the first goal interval between 2019 and 2025-26. Of the 131 cities coated below the NCAP, 47 fall within the million-plus metropolis class, 44 within the 3-10 lakh inhabitants class, and 40 within the 3 lakh inhabitants class.
