Lucknow, July 18 -- Two Uttar Pradesh cities ranked in the top 10 and five in the top 20 in the Swachch Shahar Awards (million-plus cities category) under the Swachch Survekshan 2024-25. While Lucknow ranked third, Agra was 10th, Ghaziabad 11th, Prayagraj 12th and Varanasi 17th. Commenting on the achievement, minister of urban development AK Sharma said, "Uttar Pradesh's success in the Swachh Survekshan is not just about rankings, it's about transforming cities for the people. From solid waste management to sanitation worker safety, this is a collective victory." Lucknow earned a prestigious Presidential Honor for its "model waste management". It also became the first city in the state to receive a 7-star Garbage Free City (GFC) rating. Agra was also named the Promising Swachh Shahar of Uttar Pradesh, backed by its 5-star GFC rating. Prayagraj was awarded the Cleanest Ganga Town, recognised for its sanitation measures during the Mahakumbh, also receiving a 5-star GFC rating. The Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, renowned for being the world's largest human gathering, won the Swachh Mahakumbh 2025 award. It was recognised for sustainable sanitation practices, waste management, and balancing cultural heritage with modern infrastructure. Gorakhpur stood out with two major achievements- third in Safai Mitra Surakshit Shahar for sanitation worker safety and four among cities in the 3-10 lakh category. It, too, received a 5-star rating. Moradabad ranked 10th nationally among cities in the 3-10 lakh population group. In the medium-sized city category (50,000-3 lakh), Bijnor secured the 29th position and Shamshabad ranked 95th. Both towns were also certified under the Water+ category - focusing on wastewater reuse and treatment. Principal secretary, urban development, Amrit Abhijat said, "Uttar Pradesh's performance was broad-based, with recognitions spanning all population segments." "We've seen outstanding improvements in ODF++, Water+ and GFC certifications. Our municipal bodies are becoming engines of hygiene innovation and community engagement. Uttar Pradesh is redefining what it means to be a clean and future-ready state in India," Abhijat added. According to Amrit Abhijat, UP's Clean Vision 2030 aims to consolidate its achievements through deployment of smart composting units, real-time waste tracking systems. Insurance and upskilling for sanitation workers. Citizen feedback integration and targeted campaigns for clean schools and markets....