Archive · 8 Sep 2026
Lucknow Leads Swachh Vayu Survey as 16 UP Cities Shine
Lucknow was named India’s top city for clean-air work in the 2026 survey.
It scored 198 points, one point more than Indore.
Other cities in Uttar Pradesh also received strong rankings.
Firozabad did especially well after many glass industries changed to cleaner natural gas.
Some city wards were also recognised for reducing dust and stopping open waste burning.
Lucknow used electric waste-collection vehicles, electric buses and road-sweeping machines.
The city also paved roads and expanded scientific waste processing.
Government departments and local bodies worked together under the National Clean Air Programme.
The article says these efforts helped Uttar Pradesh gain national recognition.
Lucknow ranked first nationally among cities with more than 10 lakh people, scoring 198 points and surpassing Indore.
The article reports that 16 Uttar Pradesh cities earned national recognition across population categories, although its detailed lists name 17 city entries.
Agra, Ghaziabad, Kanpur and Prayagraj were among the other highly ranked large Uttar Pradesh cities.
Firozabad ranked second among medium-population cities, with its shift from glass-industry fuel to natural gas highlighted as a key achievement.
Lucknow received Rs 1.5 crore, while Ward-70 received Rs 50 lakh for first-place clean-air performance.
- Who
- Lucknow and other Uttar Pradesh cities and wards, supported by municipal bodies, the Urban Development Department and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.
- What
- They received rankings, prizes and recognition in the Swachh Vayu Survey-2026 for clean-air measures.
- When
- The results were reported on September 7, with rankings for the 2026 survey.
- Where
- Across Uttar Pradesh, India, including Lucknow, Firozabad, Prayagraj and other cities.
- Why
- The article attributes the results to measures including electric transport, road-dust control, scientific waste management, increased green cover and prevention of open waste burning.
- Lucknow’s score
- 198 points, ranking first among cities with more than 10 lakh people
- Other top large cities
- Indore scored 197 points and Jabalpur scored 195 points
- Firozabad award
- First prize in Category-2 and Rs 25 lakh
- Lucknow municipal award
- First prize in Category-1 and Rs 1.5 crore
- Lucknow waste processing
- Reported capacity for 100 percent scientific processing of waste: 2,550 tonnes per day
- Electric transport
- Around 1,100 electric waste-collection vehicles and 140 electric buses were reported in operation
- Road-dust control
- Lucknow was reported to have 97 electric mechanised sweeping machines and 559.85 kilometres of end-to-end paved roads
- Ward-70 award
- Lucknow’s Ward-70 ranked first nationally among wards with more than 30,000 people and received Rs 50 lakh