- Introduction
- National Clean Air Programme
- Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Process
- Category 1: Cities Over 10 Lakh
- Category 2: Cities 3–10 Lakh
- Category 3: Cities Under 3 Lakh
- Financial Support & Convergence
- Air Quality Achievements
- New Initiatives 2025
- Wetland Cities Recognition
- Flashcards
- Quiz
- Key Takeaways
- FAQs
“Clean air is not a luxury — it is a basic right. These awards celebrate cities that turned commitment into action.” — Bhupender Yadav, Union Environment Minister
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) held the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards and Wetland Cities Recognition Ceremony 2025. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav presented awards to top-performing cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The ceremony marked significant progress in air quality management and highlighted India’s expanding work in biodiversity and wetland conservation.
This annual survey ranks and rewards cities for their efforts in reducing air pollution through tree plantation, green mobility, waste management, and industrial compliance. The 2025 edition also saw Indore and Udaipur gain international recognition as Wetland Cities under the Ramsar Convention.
📜 National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched on 15 August 2020 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The programme aims to cut air pollution in mission mode across 130 cities in India. The annual Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan serves as the primary evaluation tool, ranking and rewarding cities based on their air quality improvement actions.
NCAP represents a shift from reactive pollution control to proactive city-level planning. It focuses on source-specific interventions covering vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, construction dust, road dust, and biomass burning.
Think of NCAP as a nationwide competition where cities compete to clean their air. Just like schools get ranked on academic performance, cities get ranked on how well they reduce pollution. The better they perform, the more funding and recognition they receive.
📋 Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan: Purpose and Process
Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is conducted annually to motivate cities to improve air quality. The survey uses a multi-tier review system that evaluates cities on several parameters including tree plantation drives, green mobility adoption, solid waste management, and compliance by industrial units.
The 2025 cycle covered three city groups based on population: cities with population over 10 lakh, cities with population from 3 to 10 lakh, and cities with population under 3 lakh. Awards went to cities that scored highest on planned actions, measurable outcomes, and effective use of NCAP support.
Key Fact: The survey evaluates four main areas — tree planting, green mobility, waste handling, and industrial compliance. Cities are scored out of 200 points.
🏆 Category 1: Cities with Population Over 10 Lakh
The largest city category saw fierce competition among India’s major urban centres. Indore secured the top position with a perfect score, continuing its reputation as a leader in urban cleanliness and sustainability.
| Rank | City | Score | Award | Key Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Indore | 200/200 | ₹1.5 crore | 16 lakh trees (Guinness Record), 120 e-buses, 150 CNG buses |
| 2nd | Jabalpur | 199/200 | ₹1 crore | 11 MW waste-to-energy plant, urban greenery expansion |
| 3rd (Joint) | Agra | 196/200 | ₹25 lakh | Legacy waste cleared, Miyawaki urban forests |
| 3rd (Joint) | Surat | 196/200 | ₹25 lakh | EV promotion policy, ~38% green cover achieved |
Indore has won both the Swachh Survekshan (cleanliness) and Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan (clean air) awards multiple times. What institutional factors enable some cities to consistently outperform others in environmental governance?
🥈 Category 2: Cities with Population 3–10 Lakh
Medium-sized cities showed remarkable progress in this category. Amravati topped with a perfect score, demonstrating that smaller cities can match the performance of metro areas with focused action.
| Rank | City | Score | Award | Key Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Amravati | 200/200 | ₹75 lakh | 340 km roads upgraded, 53 gardens, 19 acres barren-to-forest |
| 2nd (Joint) | Jhansi | 198.5/200 | ₹25 lakh | Urban greening, Miyawaki forest patches |
| 2nd (Joint) | Moradabad | 198.5/200 | ₹25 lakh | Road projects, improved C&D waste handling |
| 3rd | Alwar | 197.6/200 | ₹25 lakh | Legacy waste dump site reclaimed |
Don’t confuse: Amravati (Maharashtra) with Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh capital region). The Swachh Vayu winner is Amravati in Maharashtra.
🥉 Category 3: Cities with Population Under 3 Lakh
Smaller cities faced unique challenges with limited resources, yet showed innovative approaches to air quality improvement. Dewas in Madhya Pradesh led this category by convincing local industries to shift to cleaner fuels.
| Rank | City | Score | Award | Key Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dewas | 193/200 | ₹37.5 lakh | Industries shifted to cleaner fuels |
| 2nd | Parwanoo | 191.5/200 | ₹25 lakh | End-to-end road pavement to control dust |
| 3rd | Angul | 191/200 | ₹12.5 lakh | Road upgrades, public awareness campaigns |
💰 Financial Support & Scheme Convergence
NCAP has committed large-scale funding for city-level interventions. The total allocation stands at ₹20,130 crore for 130 cities, with ₹13,237 crore designated as Air Quality Performance Linked Grants. Cities use these funds for electric mobility, solid waste management, green cover expansion, and air quality monitoring infrastructure.
NCAP aligns with several central missions to maximise ground-level impact:
- Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) — Waste management integration
- AMRUT — Urban infrastructure and water supply
- Smart City Mission — Technology-driven solutions
- SATAT — Sustainable transport fuels
- FAME-II — Electric vehicle adoption
- Nagar Van Yojana — Urban forest development
Combined financial mobilisation through these converged schemes stands near ₹1.55 lakh crore.
📈 Air Quality Achievements Under NCAP
Measured progress under NCAP shows clear gains in air quality across participating cities:
- 103 cities showed improvement in PM10 levels
- 64 cities recorded at least 20% reduction in PM10
- 25 cities achieved 40% or more reduction compared to 2017–18 baseline
These achievements demonstrate that sustained, coordinated action at the city level can deliver measurable improvements in urban air quality within a relatively short timeframe.
Remember: 103 → 64 → 25 (Cities improved → 20% cut → 40% cut). This declining sequence shows progressively stricter achievement thresholds.
✨ New Initiatives Announced in 2025
Three fresh steps were introduced in 2025 to deepen city-level action on air quality:
- Ward-level Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan: New guidelines to rate performance within cities at the ward level, enabling more granular accountability
- Best Practices Compendium: A compilation of proven measures to help states and cities adopt successful interventions
- PRANA Digital Platform: A technology platform to track progress and share data transparently across all stakeholders
Additionally, two major green cover programmes support city efforts:
- Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam: Campaign targeting 75 crore trees between 17 September and 2 October 2025
- Nagar Van Yojana: Plan to develop 75 Nagar Vans (urban forests) across the country
🌿 Wetland Cities Recognition Under Ramsar Convention
India’s Ramsar site count has risen dramatically to 91 sites, compared to just 25 in 2014. In 2025, Indore and Udaipur gained Wetland City status under the Ramsar Convention — an international recognition for cities that demonstrate strong action in conserving urban lakes and wetlands while supporting local biodiversity.
Linked national missions reinforce these sustainability targets:
- Mission Amrit Sarovar: Focuses on restoring and maintaining water bodies across India
- Mission LiFE: Promotes everyday lifestyle choices that reduce pollution and support resource conservation
The convergence of clean air initiatives with wetland conservation shows a holistic approach to urban sustainability. How can cities balance rapid urbanisation with ecological preservation? Consider Indore as a case study.
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NCAP was launched on 15 August 2020 (Independence Day) by PM Narendra Modi, not in 2019 or 2021.
Indore topped Category 1 with a perfect score of 200/200 and won Rs 1.5 crore. Jabalpur came second.
The total NCAP allocation is Rs 20,130 crore for 130 cities, with Rs 13,237 crore as performance-linked grants.
Amravati (Maharashtra) topped Category 2 with a perfect 200/200 score. Don’t confuse with Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh.
Indore and Udaipur received Ramsar Wetland City recognition in 2025. This is separate from the clean air awards.
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