New Delhi, June 16 -- Indian states are falling short of the 70-mark in environmental performance, according to State of India's Environment 2025 in Figures, the latest data-driven assessment by Down To Earth (DTE) magazine and Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). A major reason: The significant gap between sewage generated and sewage treated.

Even Andhra Pradesh, the highest-ranked state under the "environment" theme in this year's State of States rankings, managed only 68.38 out of 100. While it scored well on forest and biodiversity and climate indicators, its performance was dragged down by shortcomings in sewage treatment and persistent river pollution.

"This shows that even high-performing states face s...