Bhubaneswar: Despite a series of aggressive anti-pollution measures, including a ban on charcoal use and large-scale dust control initiatives, Bhubaneswar could not improve upon its fourth-place ranking under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) among cities with populations between 3-10 lakh.However, the city managed to retain its position, with two municipal wards (30 and 36) emerging among the cleanest in the country under 10,000-30,000 population category.Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities said sustained efforts to curb air pollution helped the city maintain its ranking even though it fell short of improving the rank. A key intervention was the restriction on charcoal use and cooking on coal-based chullahs, which was temporarily relaxed for nearly three months due to LPG supply disruptions triggered by tensions in West Asia earlier this year.With LPG availability returning to normal, BMC reinstated the restriction from the second week of Aug. Officials said the enforcement drive initially covered charcoal manufacturers and sellers before including the users.“Two of our wards secured top positions jointly under the 10,000-30,000 population category for clean air. The Saheed Nagar and Unit-IV areas were assessed to have the cleanest air, although at the pan-city level we have secured fourth position in the 3-10 lakh population category,” BMC mayor Sulochana Das said.Ahead of the NCAP assessment, teams comprising scientists from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), officials from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and representatives of the regional transport office visited Bhubaneswar to review pollution-control measures undertaken by the civic body.Apart from regulating charcoal sales, BMC intensified efforts to prevent open burning of dry municipal waste and reduce dust pollution across the city. Officials said exposed dusty surfaces were significantly brought down through the installation of paver blocks in vacant spaces and public areas. The civic body also strengthened regulation of construction and demolition waste, a major source of particulate pollution.BMC officials maintained that while the initiatives helped retain the city’s air quality performance and secure recognition for individual wards, further efforts would be needed to improve Bhubaneswar’s overall NCAP ranking in the coming years.