On the ‘bench’ at Crescent Park Avenue Road in Gandhi Nagar, Adyar

At Crescent Park Avenue Road in Gandhi Nagar, a massive paver finisher is sitting on its haunches — on its fat screed, if one prefers literal description to figurative language. Within range, other team members stand gawking cluelessly at passers by. Here is a roll call. A road sweeper machine on wheels, its brush bristling with frustration. Right behind is a tractor that will get this machine moving. A bitumen carrier stands idly by. A little distance away, behind the paver finisher, is parked a road roller.

According to a residents of the area, Gandhi Nagar Crescent Park Avenue Road was milled sometime ago, and the new, smooth road surface is being kept tantalisingly close.

The delay in road relaying has become noticeable, points out one resident (who does not want to be named), adding that this sentiment has been communicated to the GCC officials concerned.

The resident observes that a milled road is unsafe for motorcyclists.

According to the resident, these road-laying machinery have been parked on the road, but the orders to get them moving do not seem to be forthcoming. At one point, the machinery left the road, probably because they were needed elsewhere, and then returned to the road, rather to the “bench” on Gandhi Nagar Crescent Park Avenue Road, to borrow a term from sports. The images were taken on the evening of August 21, 2025, and the following day dawned with heavy showers. With showers lashing the city from time to time, sometimes with great intensity, any intention to get road-relaying work started soon on this road could be thwarted. And the delay would only lengthen like evening shadows.