SRINAGAR: Jammu has improved its position in the 2026 Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan, rising to 20th among cities with populations between three lakh and 10 lakh, while Srinagar has slipped to 26th among cities with populations above 10 lakh.
Jammu’s score rose to 176.5 in 2026 from 168.2 in 2025 and 102.8 in 2023. Its ranking has improved by 18 places since 2023 and by two places over the previous year.
Srinagar, in contrast, recorded a score of 162.6 in 2026, down from 169.2 in 2025 and 184.6 in 2023. The city, which stood fourth in 2023, was ranked 21st in 2025 before falling to 26th in the latest assessment.
The 2026 survey also recognised three Jammu wards under the state-level awards. Greater Kailash Ward 68 was placed in Category-I, New Plot Ward 16 in Category-II and Bhagwati Nagar Ward 14 in Category-III.
The Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan, conducted annually by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under the National Clean Air Programme, assesses cities on their efforts to control air pollution and implement measures outlined in their city action plans.
The assessment covers measures related to biomass and municipal solid-waste burning, road dust, construction and demolition activities, vehicular and industrial emissions and other pollution sources. It also takes into account public awareness initiatives and improvements in PM10 concentrations.
Cities are assessed according to population, with Category-I covering cities with more than 10 lakh residents, Category-II covering those with populations between three lakh and 10 lakh, and Category-III covering cities with fewer than three lakh residents.
Among cities with populations above 10 lakh, Lucknow topped the 2026 ranking with a final score of 198, followed by Indore with 197 and Jabalpur with 195. In the three lakh to 10 lakh category, Rourkela, Firozabad and Guntur occupied the first three positions, respectively.
The survey is a broader assessment of cities’ air-pollution management efforts and does not rank them solely on measured ambient air quality.
