India’s environment ministry on Tuesday awarded 11 cities for their progress under the National Clean Air Programme, with Indore, Jabalpur, Agra and Surat leading efforts to curb air pollution. Indore and Udaipur also received international recognition as Wetland Cities under the Ramsar Convention.

Indore Tops Clean Air Rankings

Indore ranked first in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards 2025, scoring 200 out of 200 and receiving 15 million rupees.

The city planted more than 1.6 million trees last year, earning a Guinness World Record, and expanded its fleet of electric and CNG buses.

Jabalpur secured second place with 199 points, while Agra and Surat shared third spot, each earning 2.5 million rupees.

Among mid-sized cities, Amravati topped the rankings, while Dewas, Parwanoo and Angul led in the small-city category.

Expanding Clean Air Efforts

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav stated that India has mobilized more than ₹1.55 trillion ($18.6 billion) for clean air and green infrastructure across 130 NCAP cities through central schemes, state contributions, and local initiatives.

He added that 103 cities have shown improvements in particulate matter 10 levels since 2017-18, with 64 towns recording 20 percent reductions and 25 cities cutting levels by 40 percent.

“The awards reaffirm our commitment to clean air and protecting the environment,” Yadav said, urging cities to continue working in “mission mode” as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sarvekshan to Go Local

The ministry said the annual Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan survey will expand to the ward level to encourage neighborhood action against air pollution.

It also released a compendium of best practices to guide urban clean-air measures and announced plans to plant 750 million trees under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign later this month.

Wetland Cities Recognition

Indore and Udaipur were formally accredited as Wetland Cities under the Ramsar Convention, joining an international list of urban centers recognized for conserving water ecosystems.

India now has 91 Ramsar sites covering 1.36 million hectares, the highest in Asia and the third-highest globally.

Yadav said wetland protection remains central to India’s sustainability drive, noting that the number of Ramsar sites in the country has grown more than threefold in the past decade.