Bhubaneswar: In a proud moment for Odisha, Angul has secured the 3rd rank in Category-3 (cities with population under 3 lakh) in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2025, a flagship initiative under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
The results were announced by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) during a national awards ceremony held in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Angul scored 191 out of 200 points, earning praise for its targeted efforts in improving road infrastructure and conducting extensive public awareness campaigns on air quality and environmental issues.
As part of the recognition, the city was awarded a cash prize of Rs 12.5 lakh, which was received by its municipal representatives at the event.
Speaking at the ceremony, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav congratulated Angul and other winning cities for their innovation and commitment to clean air. He highlighted Angul’s back-to-back performance in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan, calling it a testament to the city’s sustained environmental efforts.
The 2025 edition of the survey evaluated 130 cities under NCAP, assessing performance based on air quality improvement, green cover expansion, technological innovation, and public engagement.
Category-3 Results:
- 1st Place: Dewas (Madhya Pradesh) – Score: 193/200 | Prize: Rs 37.5 lakh
- 2nd Place: Parwanoo (Himachal Pradesh) – Score: 191.5/200 | Prize: Rs 25 lakh
- 3rd Place: Angul (Odisha) – Score: 191/200 | Prize: Rs 12.5 lakh
Minister Yadav also revealed that 64 cities have achieved a 20% reduction in PM10 levels, while 25 cities recorded a 40% decrease in particulate pollution between 2017–18 and 2024–25. These milestones, he said.
Winners in Larger Categories:
- Indore topped Category-1 (population over 10 lakh) with a perfect score of 200.
- Amravati led Category-2 (population between 3–10 lakh) with a score of 200.
In another notable achievement, both Indore and Udaipur received the prestigious Wetland City Accreditation under the Ramsar Convention, making them the first Indian cities to be recognised globally for urban wetland conservation.
The Union government has mobilised Rs 1.55 lakh crore from central, state, and local bodies to support clean air and sustainable urban infrastructure across the 130 NCAP cities. Of this, Rs 13,237 crore has been released as performance-linked grants.
With this national recognition, Angul continues to emerge as a model for environmental management and public health in Odisha.
