The city’s main roads will be swept every day, between afternoon and dawn, for four months to prevent garbage from clogging gully pits during rain.

As an additional measure to prevent waterlogging, the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) will deploy men who will ensure that the gully pits remain clean.

The drive, which started on Wednesday and will continue till September, will cost the CMC Rs 1.2 crore.

The civic drainage and conservancy departments will deploy around 2,000 workers from 4pm to 5am to sweep 36 thoroughfares across the city and keep the gully pits clean.

“It will minimise the chances of garbage on roads or in vats flowing along with rain water and blocking gully pits,” said municipal commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

“The conservancy service of the civic body usually runs from 5pm to 4pm. With the special team taking over in the afternoon, there will be 24-hour service on key arteries during monsoon,” said an official.

Chief engineer (conservancy) Arun Sarkar said the team will not allow any garbage to accumulate in vats or on roads. The vats, usually cleaned once a day, will be serviced at regular intervals in the monsoon months.

As a second line of defence, chief engineer (drainage and sewerage) Tushar Ghosh said, a team from his department will ensure that gully pits on the main roads are not blocked by garbage.

Most drainage workers will be hired by the civic headquarters, though the boroughs, too, have been asked to engage 10 workers each. The workers hired by the headquarters will wear red jackets, while those deployed by the boroughs will wear blue jackets.