Indore, which topped India’s clean air rankings last year, has dropped to second place in the 2026 Clean Air Survey, losing the top spot to Lucknow by just one point.
The rankings were announced during the fifth Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards on Monday. Among cities with a population of more than one million, Lucknow secured first place with 198 points out of 200, while Indore scored 197 points. Jabalpur came third with 195 points, followed by Bhopal and Agra, which jointly secured fourth place with 192 points each.
Indore had achieved a perfect score of 200 in the previous survey. Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava attributed this year's drop mainly to the city's performance on PM10 pollution levels.
PM10 refers to airborne particles measuring 10 micrometres or less. These particles can come from vehicle emissions, road dust and industrial activity and can enter the respiratory system when inhaled.
Following the results, Indore authorities announced plans to intensify efforts to control air pollution throughout the year. The measures will focus particularly on traffic and industrial emissions.
The city has one of the highest vehicle densities in Madhya Pradesh. To reduce pollution from vehicles, authorities plan to promote initiatives such as “Red Light On, Engine Off”, encourage the use of electric vehicles and expand the operation of electric buses.
Despite losing the top position, officials said Indore's overall air quality performance remains strong. Data from the Indore Municipal Corporation showed that PM10 levels have declined by more than 15% compared with previous years.
The city also recorded an AQI below 200 on more than 98% of the days during the evaluation period, according to civic data.
The survey evaluates cities under the Swachh Vayu Survekshan Framework introduced in 2022-23. It assesses efforts to tackle major sources of air pollution, including road dust, vehicle emissions and industrial pollution.
Among cities with populations between three and ten lakh, Odisha's Rourkela topped the rankings with 198.5 points, followed by Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh.
The latest rankings have prompted Indore authorities to focus on reducing PM10 levels further and improving the city's performance in the next clean air assessment.
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