Lucknow has secured the top position among million-plus cities in the 2026 Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan, recognising the Uttar Pradesh capital’s efforts to improve air quality through cleaner transport, better waste management and measures to control road dust.
Indore finished second, while Jabalpur secured the third position in the category.
Lucknow Leads Million-Plus Cities
Lucknow’s initiatives included increasing the use of electric vehicles for waste collection, deploying mechanised road sweepers to tackle dust and taking steps to manage legacy waste.
However, the city is yet to meet the annual PM10 standard of 60 µg/m³ prescribed under national ambient air quality standards. According to the NCAP portal, its annual PM10 concentration has nevertheless fallen significantly, from 250 µg/m³ in 2017-18 to 137 µg/m³.
Indore and Jabalpur Among Top Performers
Indore, which is also known for its performance in cleanliness rankings, took the second spot this year after topping the million-plus category last year.
Jabalpur secured third place, with its initiatives including a waste-to-energy plant, 100% waste collection and scientific waste disposal, mechanised sweeping and promotion of electric vehicles.
At the other end of the ranking, Chennai, Jamshedpur, Kota, Kolkata and Madurai were among the bottom five million-plus cities. Delhi ranked 30th and Mumbai 37th.
Rourkela, Kalinga Nagar Lead Other Categories
In the 3–10 lakh population category, Rourkela secured first place. Firozabad and Guntur jointly took the second position, while Amravati ranked third.
Among cities with a population of less than three lakh, Kalinga Nagar topped the list, followed by Angul and Talcher.
Focus on Practical Air Quality Measures
The survey evaluates cities on measures such as waste management, road-dust control, construction and demolition waste management, and reduction of vehicular and industrial pollution.
Reduction in PM10 levels carries a relatively small 2.5% weightage, with the assessment looking more broadly at the measures cities undertake to improve air quality.
The rankings were announced in New Delhi, where NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava presented the awards. For the first time, awards were also given to municipal wards that demonstrated improvements in air quality.
NCAP Continues Air Quality Push
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in January 2019, covers cities across India and aims to reduce PM10 pollution by up to 40% from 2019-20 levels by 2025-26.
The assessment involves state-level monitoring committees, evaluation by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and field verification by independent committees.
The latest results underline the progress made by several cities while also highlighting the continuing challenge of meeting national air quality standards.