Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026: Lucknow beats Indore by a single point to top India’s 2026 clean air survey

Lucknow has overtaken Indore to top the Centre’s 2026 clean air rankings among million-plus cities, winning by just one point as the Madhya Pradesh city slipped from first to second place.

Indore had recorded a perfect 200 in the 2025 edition but fell short this time primarily on PM10 standards, according to local authorities. Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava told PTI that the one-point gap was “due to (the city) lagging behind in PM10 particle standards,” noting Indore’s high vehicle density as a key challenge.

Bhargava said public awareness initiatives, including "Red Light On, Engine Off" at traffic signals, promotions of electric vehicles, and the operation of e-buses, would be stepped up to curb vehicular pollution. 
Indore’s mayor has promised intensified anti-pollution measures, especially to address vehicular emissions and PM10 levels, as the city aims to reclaim the top position in next year’s survey.

ALSO READ: Delhi records cleanest January–May air in 8 years as AQI drops to best levels: CAQM

Survey results: Lucknow 198, Indore 197

The rankings were announced on Monday at the fifth edition of the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards, part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

In the Category-I segment (cities with a population over 10 lakh), Lucknow scored 198 out of 200, while Indore, India’s “cleanest city” in the Swachh Survekshan sanitation survey for eight straight years, managed 197. Jabalpur finished third with 195 points. Bhopal and Agra tied for fourth place with 192 points each.

Why PM10 mattered more than overall pollution levels

The Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan evaluates cities on a mix of parameters, including actions to curb pollution sources, monitoring, public awareness and some air-quality indicators, rather than ranking solely on ambient pollution concentrations.

While Lucknow’s average annual PM10 concentration in 2025–26 was higher at 135 µg/m³ compared with 76 µg/m³ in Indore and 78 µg/m³ in Jabalpur, the UP capital scored better on other weighted components, helping it clinch the top spot.

DO CHECKOUT: ‘Didn’t want asthmatic children’: Canadian man changes 3 cities over India’s worsening air pollution

Broader rankings and UP’s strong showing

Beyond the first category (over 10 lakh), Odisha’s Rourkela led the 3–10 lakh population segment with 198.5 points, followed by Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad and Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur.

Overall, 16 Uttar Pradesh cities featured in the national clean air rankings, with officials highlighting Lucknow’s first-time lead over Indore as a significant milestone for the state.