On Thursday, Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, awarded first rank to the Information Technology hub of Madhya Pradesh, Indore, in the Clean Air Survey (Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan-2023), conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board.
The ministry carried out the second year of the Swachh Vayu Survekshan, based on self-assessments submitted by 130 identified cities under the National Clean Air Programme. Agra in Uttar Pradesh secured the second rank, followed by Thane in Maharashtra on the third spot.
The awards announce three categories of cities based on the 2011 population census: million-plus cities, cities with a population between three and ten lakh, and cities with a population under three lakh.
Indore in Madhya Pradesh ranked first as the city with the cleanest air in the million-plus population category, followed by Agra (Uttar Pradesh) and Thane (Maharashtra). Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Howrah (West Bengal), and Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) ranked 46, 45, and 44, respectively, and were the bottom three cities. Delhi ranked ninth, while Bhopal secured the fifth position.
Category I – (Million plus population)
- Indore
- Agra
- Thane.
II Category – (3-10 lakhs population)
- Amravati
- Moradabad
- Guntur.
Category III – (less than 3 lakhs population)
- Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh
- Kala Amb, Himachal Pradesh
- Angul, Odisha.
Amravati (Maharashtra) secured the first rank in the second category of cities with a population of 300,000 to 1 million, followed by Moradabad (UP) and Guntur (Andhra Pradesh). Jammu, Guwahati (Assam), and Jalandhar (Punjab) held rankings 38, 37, and 36, respectively, and occupied the bottom three cities.
Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh secured the first rank in the third category (less than 300,000 population), followed by Kala Amb (Himachal Pradesh) and Angul (Odisha). Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland, ranked last at 39th position.
List of Indian cities with cleanest air
| Rank | City |
|---|---|
| 1 | Indore (Madhya Pradesh) |
| 2 | Agra (Uttar Pradesh) |
| 3 | Thane (Maharashtra) |
| 4 | Amravati (Maharashtra) |
| 5 | Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) |
| 6 | Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) |
| 7 | Parwanoo (Himachal Pradesh) |
| 8 | Kala Amb (Himachal Pradesh) |
| 9 | Angul (Odisha) |
| 10 | Delhi |
Overcoming air pollution
Yadav spoke on the occasion and stated that this year’s fourth International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (Swachh Vayu Diwas 2023) aims to create stronger partnerships, increase investment, and share responsibility for overcoming air pollution, with the global theme of “Together for Clean Air.”
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has been implementing the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a national-level strategy, outlining the actions for reducing the levels of air pollution at city and regional scales in India since 2019, Yadav said.
This programme has identified a total of 131 cities to implement city-specific action plans for reducing air pollution by up to 40 per cent by FY26. NCAP focuses on preparing and implementing national-level action plans, state-level action plans, and city-level action plans for the targeted 131 cities.
Indian cities with worst air
| Rank | City |
|---|---|
| 44 | Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) |
| 45 | Howrah (West Bengal) |
| 46 | Madurai (Tamil Nadu) |
| 36 | Jalandhar (Punjab) |
| 37 | Guwahati (Assam) |
| 38 | Jammu |
| 39 | Kohima (Nagaland) |
The ministry rewards the top three cities in each category with cash prizes, trophies, and certificates every September 7 on the “International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies for their outstanding performance.
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