CHENNAI: Commuters using Pantheon Road in Egmore regularly have urged the Greater Chennai Corporation to speed up the stormwater drain construction before the onset of the northeast monsoon.

The ongoing construction causes inconvenience and threat to the public, and since the area is one of the congested junctions, the commuters have complained about the work progressing at a snail’s pace.

“During the monsoon season, there will be water stagnation leading to traffic gridlock in the area. To prevent inundation unlike the previous years and ahead of the northeast monsoon, the city corporation commenced the SWD construction. However, the work is carried out at a snail’s pace and it is difficult to commute even during non-peak hours,” said T Ravi Kumar.

Only a few days are left for the civic body to meet the deadline to complete the drain construction work. However, with the intermittent rainfall received recently in the city, water is stagnating in the drain and at times the road also becomes slushy.

“Now, it has caused inconvenience for the public and has led to traffic congestion. In addition, the recent rainfall has turned the road muddy and slippery. Though barricades are kept for safety purposes, it still poses a threat due to traffic congestion. The local body should complete the works at the earliest to avoid mishaps,” said M Bharath, another commuter.

When contacted a senior official with GCC said that the ongoing stormwater drain work would be completed by September. The contractors are instructed to follow safety protocols during the construction work, if not strict action will be taken against the workers.