Udupi : The district administration has forwarded a proposal of the Kaup Town Municipal Council (TMC) to declare Kaup as an “open-defecation free town” here on Wednesday.

Chairing a meeting at the District Offices Complex, Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis said that the proposal of Kaup TMC to be declared as an “open defecation-free town” will be recommended to the State committee.

She said that other towns in the district should take steps in this regard within a month. If the other towns fail to take the initiative to end open defecation, the Chief Officers will be held responsible, she said.

The urban local bodies should give importance to construction and maintenance of community toilets. If there was proper maintenance of toilets, people too would develop a good opinion on them, she said.

These bodies should continuously hold awareness programmes on reduction of use of plastic and solid waste management till the World Environment Day on June 5, Ms. Francis said.