Madhya Pradesh has achieved a major milestone in environmental protection, green development and public participation. In the results of the National Clean Air Survey-2026, three major cities of the state have secured outstanding positions among India’s top five cities for clean air, bringing national recognition to Madhya Pradesh. On the occasion of National Clean Air Day, Indore and Jabalpur were conferred prestigious national honours in the category of cities with a population of more than one million, while Ward No. 60 of Bhopal Municipal Corporation was honoured in the ward-level category. The awards were presented at a ceremony held on Monday at the Ganga Auditorium of Indira Paryavaran Bhawan in New Delhi by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal, and Shri Tanmay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Excellent Performance by Madhya Pradesh in the Over One Million Population Category
Madhya Pradesh delivered an impressive performance in the competition among cities with populations of more than one million under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Indore secured second place, Jabalpur third, and the state capital Bhopal fourth in the country, demonstrating the state’s strong performance in clean air management. Gwalior secured 39th position in the same category. In the 3–10 lakh population category, Ujjain and Sagar ranked 16th and 21st, respectively, while Dewas secured 7th position in the category of cities with populations below three lakh.
The survey, conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, ranks 130 major cities across the country on defined parameters to encourage healthy competition and promote improved air quality management.
Indore and Jabalpur Achieve Exemplary Results
Indore, which has consistently set new benchmarks in cleanliness, secured second place in the country for air quality management on the strength of measures such as dust control, mechanised road sweeping, expansion of green spaces and active citizen participation. On behalf of the Indore Municipal Corporation, Mayor Shri Pushyamitra Bhargava, Commissioner Shri Kshitij Singhal and MIC Member Shri Ashwini Shukla received the award.
Jabalpur Municipal Corporation secured third place through effective pollution control measures and systematic environmental protection initiatives. The award was received on behalf of the Municipal Corporation by Mayor Shri Jagat Bahadur Singh ‘Annu’, Commissioner Shri Ram Prasad Ahirwar, Shri Kamlesh Shrivastava, Shri Sambhav Ayachi and Shri G.S. Maravi.
Bhopal’s Ward No. 60 Receives National Recognition
Ward No. 60 of Bhopal Municipal Corporation received special recognition at the national level for remarkable improvements in ward-level air quality and innovative initiatives. The prestigious award was received by Additional Commissioner Shri Aman Mishra and MIC Member Shri R.K. Singh Baghel in recognition of effective local-level green initiatives, intensive plantation drives and public awareness efforts.
A Positive Outcome of Sustainable Development and Visionary Leadership
This national recognition is the result of environmental protection initiatives undertaken under the visionary resolve of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for ‘Viksit Bharat’ and the able leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav. Urban local bodies across the state have undertaken a range of measures, including dust control, water sprinkling, prevention of open waste burning, monitoring of construction sites and extensive public awareness campaigns. These sustained efforts have culminated in Madhya Pradesh achieving this significant success on the national air quality and environmental protection platform.
