By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Patna has made notable strides in its efforts to improve air quality, securing 14th place in the 2024 “Clean Air Survey” in the category of cities with a population exceeding 10 lakh. This marks a significant improvement from last year’s 29th position. Conducted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, the survey awarded Patna 176 out of 200 marks.
Gaya also showed remarkable progress, moving up to 8th position in the category of cities with a population between three and 10 lakh, compared to 20th last year.
Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) Chairman D.K. Shukla commented, “Patna’s rise to 14th place is a significant achievement. The ranking reflects not just air quality measurements but the steps taken by the city to improve air quality across various sectors.” He added that the efforts undertaken as part of the city’s action plan under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) have yielded positive results.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) ranks cities based on air quality and the implementation of activities under their action plans in 130 cities covered by the NCAP. Patna has outperformed cities such as Kolkata, Chennai, Ranchi, and Pune in this year’s rankings. Muzaffarpur also maintained its 34th position.
Shukla emphasised that BSPCB is working with other authorities to continue improving air quality in cities across Bihar, with coordinated efforts aimed at sustaining these positive developments.
The 130 cities are divided into three categories for the rankings: cities with a population of more than 10 lakh, those with three to 10 lakh, and cities with fewer than three lakh residents.
