Lucknow, Sept. 9 -- Uttar Pradesh's civic bodies have received praise from Urban Development minister AK Sharma for their improved performance in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan-2026, with several cities securing positions among the country's top performers in different population categories. Interacting with the media on Tuesday, Sharma congratulated the municipal bodies for their achievement, saying the recognition reflected sustained efforts to improve air quality in urban areas. He said cities like Firozabad, Agra, Jhansi, Ghaziabad, Kanpur and Prayagraj, which secured high national positions, were earlier identified among pollution-affected urban centres have now emerged as cities with cleaner air in their respective population categories. The minister attributed the improvement to measures undertaken by urban local bodies to control air pollution and strengthen environmental management. The performance in the national survey, he said, demonstrates that coordinated action at the local level can bring measurable improvements in air quality and help cities move from pollution hotspots towards cleaner and healthier urban environments....