New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS): Surat has moved up from second rank to catch up with Indore in being adjudged the joint winner as the 'cleanest cities' in the country in the 'Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023' announced on Thursday.

Navi Mumbai has retained the third position in the Central government's annual cleanliness survey.

Indore won the cleanest city title for the seventh consecutive time.

Among the states, Maharashtra was adjudged the cleanest followed by Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the second and third ranks, respectively.

Saswad in Maharashtra won the cleanest city award among cities with less than one lakh population.

Patan in Chhattisgarh and Lonavala in Maharashtra got the second and third awards in this category.

Apart from Navi Mumbai, these smaller cities helped to ramp up the points for Maharashtra.

Varanasi won the best award among the Ganga towns.

President Droupadi Murmu gave away the awards to the winners at a function that was attended by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.