Pallavi Sharma
Though the dream of owning a home in Himachal Pradesh often revolves around the postcard-perfect towns of Shimla, Manali or Dharamshala, it is the lesser-known industrial town of Parwanoo in Solan district that has quietly emerged as a national model for clean air.
In the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan-2025, Parwanoo secured the second position across the country in the category of cities with population under three lakh, a remarkable feat for a town once listed among the country’s polluted urban areas.
At a ceremony held in New Delhi, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav along with Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh presented a cash award of Rs 25 lakh to Parwanoo for its outstanding performance.
Dewas in Madhya Pradesh claimed the top spot in this category. The goal of the survey is not just to reduce pollution but to improve air quality in cities undergoing rapid industrialisation, a goal Parwanoo has embraced with remarkable effectiveness.
Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala: Tourist gems, but not the cleanest
Shimla, with its colonial charm and vibrant Mall Road, continues to be a favourite destination for both Indian and foreign tourists.
Manali, nestled in the Kullu Valley, is known for its breathtaking views and adventure sports, while Dharamshala — the seat of the Dalai Lama — is revered for its spiritual atmosphere and stunning Dhauladhar ranges. Yet, despite their natural beauty and tourism appeal, these towns have struggled with increasing pollution, traffic congestion and solid waste issues that often impact their overall air quality.
In contrast, Parwanoo — an industrial township bordering Panchkula in Haryana — has achieved what few expected: it has become a symbol of successful urban air management, even as factories and industries continue to operate within and around it.
From polluted to pristine: How Parwanoo cleaned its air
Until a few years ago, Parwanoo, along with six other towns in Himachal Pradesh, was included in the national list of polluted cities. But the tide turned after the Ministry of Environment introduced the National Clean Air Programme and the first Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan in 2022. With consistent efforts, Parwanoo has risen from those early rankings to become first in the country in 2023, and now second in 2025.
The city adopted a multi-pronged approach to tackle pollution. Initiatives like end-to-end paving of roads, mechanical street sweeping and remediation of old dumping sites were implemented. Authorities also focused on green belt development, plantation drives and organised disposal of construction and demolition waste. Industrial emissions were brought under control by encouraging the use of clean fuels and an intelligent traffic management system was set up to reduce vehicular emissions.
Himachal’s air quality sees overall improvement
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu congratulated the people and authorities of Parwanoo, promising that efforts will continue across Himachal to ensure cleaner air in all urban areas. Thanks to sustained actions, seven cities in Himachal Pradesh, including Nalagarh, Baddi, Paonta Sahib, Damtal, Sundernagar and Kala Amb, have shown significant improvement in air quality.
Where their air quality index (AQI) once hovered between 101 and 201 (moderate), it now more frequently ranges between 50 and 101, placing them in the ‘good’ to ‘satisfactory’ categories.
Introduced in 2022, the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan awards were created to drive improvement in cities marked as polluted under the 2016-2018 AQI reports. Over the years, Himachal Pradesh has consistently performed well. Sundernagar secured second place in 2022, followed by Nalagarh in third. In 2023, Parwanoo topped the list nationally, while Kala Amb came in second.
