Five Years of Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan: What India's Clean Air City Rankings Measure
The Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan (SVS), India's ranking of cities on clean-air action, has completed five rounds (2022 to 2026). It is run by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
In the 2026 survey (results given on 7 September 2026), Lucknow topped the cities with over 10 lakh population, scoring 198 out of 200. It was followed by Indore (197), Jabalpur (195), Bhopal and Agra. Rourkela topped the 3-10 lakh category and Kalinga Nagar topped the below-3-lakh category.
In 2026, the survey also went down to the ward level for the first time, with more than 7,400 wards taking part.
The process has grown from city self-assessment on the PRANA portal to state scrutiny, evaluation by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and field checks of shortlisted cities by independent committees.
An analysis points out that a high SVS score shows strong effort, not necessarily clean air. Lucknow's average PM10 level in 2025-26 was about 135 µg/m³, more than twice the national annual standard of 60 µg/m³. Improvement in PM10 carries only 2.5% of the marks.
Across the 130 NCAP cities, 108 had lower PM10 in 2025-26 than in the 2017-18 baseline; 72 cut it by more than 20%, 26 by more than 40%, and 14 met the national standard.
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is India's first national plan, with a time limit, to reduce air pollution in cities. It was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019. It focuses on the most polluted cities and aims to cut the level of fine dust in the air, called particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5). It now covers 130 cities in 24 states and Union Territories.
The Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is the ranking tool of NCAP. The latest data shows that most NCAP cities have reduced PM10 since 2017-18, but only 14 meet the national standard, which is why experts say good SVS ranks must be read together with real air quality numbers.
Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan
Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan (SVS), meaning "clean air survey", is an annual ranking of Indian cities based on how much they do to control air pollution. It is run by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as part of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Cities are given marks for actions such as controlling road dust, stopping waste burning and managing traffic. The best cities are awarded every year on 7 September, the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.
After five rounds, SVS has become a well-known yearly test for cities. But the gap between Lucknow's top rank and its PM10 level, more than twice the national standard, shows the debate at its heart: whether the survey should keep rewarding effort or give more weight to actual clean air.
- Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026 was the 5th edition; results on 7 September 2026
- Category 1 (over 10 lakh): Lucknow 198/200, Indore 197, Jabalpur 195, then Bhopal and Agra
- Lucknow average PM10 2025-26: about 135 µg/m³; Indore: about 76 µg/m³; national annual standard: 60 µg/m³
- 130 NCAP cities: 108 reduced PM10 vs 2017-18; 72 by over 20%; 26 by over 40%; 14 met NAAQS
- Over 7,400 wards took part in the 2026 survey
- Category 1 weights: road dust, vehicles, industries, and biomass/waste burning 20% each; PM10 improvement 2.5%