Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026: Nagpur Ranks 10th Nationally, 3rd in Maharashtra

Nagpur has secured the 10th spot nationally among India’s million-plus cities in the 5th Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan (Clean Air Survey) 2026, scoring 183.8 out of 200 points. Within Maharashtra, the city ranks 3rd — behind Thane and Navi Mumbai. The results were released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 7–8 September 2026.

What Is Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan?

Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is the Centre’s annual air-quality ranking of cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Cities are scored out of 200 across parameters including air quality improvement, road dust control, waste management, green space expansion, and public participation. This year’s edition — the 5th — covered 130 cities across three population categories; Nagpur competes in Category I, cities with a population above 10 lakh (million-plus).

Nagpur’s Score, in Context

At 183.8 points, Nagpur holds the 10th position nationally in the million-plus category — the same rank it held in the previous survey, per available reporting. Lucknow topped the list with 198 points, a notable jump from 15th place in the prior assessment.

Where Nagpur Stands in Maharashtra

Three Maharashtra cities feature in the national top 10 for this category:

• Thane — 7th nationally, 187 points (tied)
• Navi Mumbai — 9th nationally, 184 points (tied)
• Nagpur — 10th nationally, 183.8 points

That puts Nagpur 3rd among Maharashtra’s million-plus cities in this year’s survey.

Full National Ranking: Top 10, Million-Plus Cities

Rank	City	Score
1	Lucknow	198
2	Indore	197
3	Jabalpur	195
4 (tie)	Bhopal	192
4 (tie)	Agra	192
5	Surat	191
6	Raipur	189
7 (tie)	Thane	187
7 (tie)	Chandigarh	187
7 (tie)	Rajkot	187
8 (tie)	Ahmedabad	186
8 (tie)	Vijayawada	186
9 (tie)	Ghaziabad	184
9 (tie)	Navi Mumbai	184
10	Nagpur	183.8

Ranks 1–7, 9 and 10 are corroborated across multiple reports; the rank 8 tie (Ahmedabad, Vijayawada) comes from a single consolidated source and hasn’t been independently cross-checked.

Did Nagpur’s Score Drop From Last Year?

One local outlet’s headline states Nagpur’s score fell from the previous survey. We weren’t able to independently verify that comparison — the site blocking our automated fetch meant we could only see the headline, not the underlying year-on-year figures — so treat that specific claim as unconfirmed pending a look at last year’s official score. The rank (10th) and this year’s score (183.8) are solid.

Why It Matters

A top-10 national finish keeps Nagpur ahead of larger metros like Delhi (30th) and Mumbai (37th) on this particular index, though it also means five other million-plus cities improved on or matched Nagpur’s air-quality management score this year. NMC’s road dust control, waste management and green cover initiatives will likely come under scrutiny as the city aims to climb further next year.

Nagpurkars, does this ranking match what you’re seeing and breathing day to day? Let us know in the comments — and which part of the city you think needs the most work on air quality.

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Sources

• Nagpur Today, “Nagpur Ranks 10th Nationally in Clean Air Survey, Third in Maharashtra” (8 Sep 2026)
• The Live Nagpur, “Clean-Air Survey: Nagpur Retains 10th Spot, Score Drops to 183.8” (8 Sep 2026) — year-on-year score comparison unconfirmed, see note above
• Vajiram & Ravi, 5th Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Award 2026 current-affairs summary (national ranking table)
• IBC24, Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026 coverage (ranks 1–6 cross-check)
• Connect Gujarat, “Surat’s Clean-Air Crown Slips: City Drops to 5th in Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026” (rank 5 cross-check)