India’s cleanest city Indore slips from top spot in clean air survey; Mayor assures anti-pollution steps

The local administration has blamed PM10 particles — dangerous airborne particles — for vehicle-heavy Indore’s slide from first place to second in the 2026 Clean Air Survey and has announced intensified measures to reduce air pollution in India’s cleanest city.

In the survey, Indore, Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital, scored 197 out of 200 in the category of cities with a population of over 1 million, while Lucknow ranked first with 198 points.

Jabalpur ranked third with 195 points, while Bhopal and Agra tied for fourth with 192 points each.

Indore, which topped the list with a score of 200 out of 200 in the 2025 survey, fell just one point short of Lucknow and failed to retain its position.