JAMMU: The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has achieved a major distinction for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by securing awards in all three population-based categories under the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan – Ward Level Awards 2026, announced by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on the occasion of Swachh Vayu Diwas.
The three award-winning wards of Jammu have collectively secured ₹50 lakh in prize money, with Greater Kailash, New Plot and Bhagwati Nagar emerging as winners in their respective population categories under the State/UT category.
Greater Kailash Ward, with a population of more than 30,000, secured the first category award carrying a cash prize of ₹25 lakh. New Plot Ward, with a population between 10,000 and 30,000, won the second category and received ₹15 lakh, while Bhagwati Nagar Ward, with a population below 10,000, secured the third category award carrying ₹10 lakh.
The performance marks a significant achievement for JMC, demonstrating that air-quality improvement measures are being implemented across wards with different population sizes and urban characteristics.
The Ministry has expanded the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan framework to the ward level to promote healthy competition among local wards and encourage implementation of measures outlined in approved City Action Plans under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The initiative seeks to encourage Urban Local Bodies and individual wards to undertake visible, measurable and sustained interventions for reducing air pollution and improving the urban environment.
The ward-level assessment represents a further decentralisation of air-pollution mitigation efforts, taking the focus from cities to neighbourhoods and communities. Key areas under the broader NCAP framework include road-dust management, scientific solid-waste management, construction and demolition waste management, vehicular emission control and mitigation of industrial pollution.
The award-winning performance of Greater Kailash, New Plot and Bhagwati Nagar reflects the efforts being undertaken at the grassroots level to strengthen environmental management and promote cleaner and healthier neighbourhoods.
The prize money is expected to provide the respective wards with an opportunity to undertake further high-impact and sustainable measures aimed at improving air quality and strengthening the urban environment.
Speaking on the achievement, JMC Commissioner Dr Devansh Yadav appealed to residents of Jammu to play an active role in maintaining cleanliness and protecting the city’s environment. He urged citizens not to litter public spaces and stressed that cleanliness could not be sustained without collective participation and responsible civic behaviour.
Dr Yadav called upon residents to make concerted efforts to keep their homes, neighbourhoods, markets and public spaces clean, emphasising that sustained cleanliness and improved air quality require active public participation.
The recognition is also being viewed as an acknowledgement of the sustained grassroots efforts under the NCAP and a boost to the concept of competitive urban governance, encouraging wards and Urban Local Bodies to adopt innovative and replicable practices for environmental improvement.
The Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan was originally conceived to promote healthy competition among cities by assessing the implementation of approved clean-air measures rather than relying solely on air-quality measurements. Its expansion to the ward level is aimed at strengthening local ownership and encouraging greater citizen participation in air-pollution mitigation.
With all three population categories represented among the awardees, JMC has brought recognition to Jammu city and the Union Territory, reinforcing its stated commitment to building a cleaner, greener and healthier Jammu.
