Hyderabad beats five major metros in Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026

As part of the survey, the performance of urban local bodies in controlling air pollution was assessed.

Hyderabad: In the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026, Hyderabad has outperformed five major metros, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata, to emerge as the best-performing city among India’s six major metropolitan cities.

In the ranking, the city bagged the 19th position among urban centres with a population of more than 10 lakh. In the assessment conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city scored 174.2 out of 200 points.

Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026 assessment

As part of the survey, the performance of urban local bodies in controlling air pollution was assessed.

A report in The Times of India quoted Prasanna Kumar, a retired official of the Telangana Pollution Control Board (TGPCB) and an environmentalist, as saying that Hyderabad has comparatively lower levels of particulate matter (RPM), suspended particulate matter (SPM), benzene and sulphur oxides than several other metropolitan cities.

Hyderabad vs five major metros

According to him, the city’s performance is partly due to its relatively recent urban expansion and geographical spread.

Comparing it with other older metropolitan cities, he said that they developed around densely populated urban centres, whereas Hyderabad has expanded across a wider geographical area.

Rs 130 crore allocated for electric buses and charging stations

As per TGPCB officials, several initiatives were being implemented to further improve Hyderabad’s air quality, which improved its ranking among major metros in Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026.

For the purchase of electric buses, Rs 100 crore was sanctioned to the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

For the establishment of electric vehicle charging stations, another Rs 30 crore has been allocated to the Telangana Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TGREDCO).

Apart from Hyderabad, two other Telangana cities have performed well in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2026 in their respective population categories.

Among cities with a population of less than three lakh, Sangareddy bagged eighth position. It secured 186.8 points. Nalgonda followed in 10th place with 185.8 points.