Delhi ranked 21st among cities with populations above 10 lakh in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026, scoring 172 points, while Mumbai stood at 28th with 160.8 points, according to the Union Environment Ministry's rankings.
The survey, conducted under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), assesses cities primarily on their efforts to control air pollution and implement mitigation measures rather than air quality levels alone. The 2026 assessment covered 130 cities across different population categories.
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Lucknow topped the category for cities with populations above 10 lakh with 198 points, followed by Indore with 197 points and Jabalpur with 195 points. Bhopal and Agra jointly secured fourth place with 192 points, while Surat ranked fifth with 191 points. Raipur, Thane, Chandigarh and Rajkot completed the top 10.
During winter, Delhi's AQI regularly surges past 400 into the "severe" category, occasionally climbing beyond 450. Despite frequently dominating headlines for severe winter smog, Delhi outranked both Srinagar and Bengaluru in the Centre's Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2026. The discrepancy stems from the survey's evaluation framework, which assesses cities on active policy execution and pollution mitigation efforts rather than ambient air quality alone.
Authorities enforced Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan in January 2026 after Delhi's air quality plunged into the severe-plus category.
Despite Delhi's relatively stronger position in the survey, the national capital continues to face serious air-pollution challenges.
Delhi outperformed several other major metros. Mumbai ranked 28th with 160.8 points, Chennai ranked 35th with 147.7 points, and Kolkata ranked 38th with 142.2 points.
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The 2026 assessment forms part of the Centre's broader clean-air programme. According to the government, 108 of the 130 cities assessed recorded lower PM10 concentrations in 2025-26 compared with their 2017-18 baseline levels, although only 14 cities met the prescribed national standard.
Top 10 - Category I (Population above 10 lakh):
Cities with population above 10 lakh
- Lucknow - 198 points - Rank 1
- Indore - 197 points - Rank 2
- Jabalpur - 195 points - Rank 3
- Bhopal - 192 points - Rank 4
- Agra - 192 points - Rank 4
- Surat - 191 points - Rank 5
- Raipur - 189 points - Rank 6
- Thane - 187 points - Rank 7
- Chandigarh - 187 points - Rank 7
- Rajkot - 187 points - Rank 7
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