Himachal's Parwanoo town ranked 2nd in India in clean air competition

In an annual survey that ranks the action taken by towns and cities to improve air quality, Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh was declared the second best in the country among places with less than 3 lakh population, officials said on Tuesday.

Dewas in Madhya Pradesh was ranked first in the category in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan-2025 held under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), a statement by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said.

A spokesperson of Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board (HPPCB) said the award was conferred by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav at the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan award ceremony held on Tuesday in New Delhi, according to a statement here.


He said that the award reflects the dedicated efforts of the HPPCB, local administration and the citizens of Parwanoo who worked tirelessly to ensure cleaner air and a healthier environment.

Himachal Pradesh was awarded a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh for innovation in advancing the mission of clean air, which it said will be utilised to further strengthen initiatives for clean and healthy air.

Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is structured as a rigorous, multi-tiered evaluation mechanism, founded on comprehensive due diligence under the National Clean Air Programme. Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is conducted for 130 cities under NCAP annually to promote healthy competition among cities to take expeditious actions to improve air quality, the environment ministry said.