In the 2026 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan' (Clean Air Survey), Lucknow ranked first among cities with a population exceeding one million. The city was recognized for effectively implementing measures to reduce air pollution levels in accordance with the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
Following Lucknow in the ranking are Indore, which took second place, and Jabalpur, which secured third place. Notably, none of the major metropolitan areas managed to meet the permissible limit for PM10 concentration during the 2025–2026 period.