Cuttack: The civic body has set March as the deadline to achieve open defecation-free tag for majority of its 59 wards.

Municipal commissioner Bikash Ranjan Mohapatra said on Monday that they were implementing the Swachh Bharat Mission in phases to achieve the tag.

"We have targeted to declare at least 60 per cent wards open defecation-free by March-end by fulfilling the Swachh Bharat Mission parameters," Mohapatra said.

According to the parameters, any urban local body can declare its wards open defecation-free only if it successfully provides public conveniences at 75 per cent of its areas. There should also be provisions for toilets within 500m of slum settlements.

Currently, there are already 82 public toilets near slum settlements in different civic wards.

Mohapatra also said another 45 hybrid toilets of five, seven and 10 seats with urinals would be ready by the end of March.