This is the first time such facility is being built inside the PWD complex. The differently-abled persons were facing difficulties to access the building,” said an official attached to the PWD.

The facility will be built at 5 meters distance from the heritage building adhering to the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains Act, 2010.

“The differently-abled persons had to use the staircase to reach different offices located inside the building till now. Now, the elevator will be built away from the main building as the latter structure should be predominant among the other buildings.”

Currently, the renovation works are being done at a cost of Rs 1.4 Crore at the Chepauk Palace.

The officials decided to give a facelift to the 150-year-old heritage structure after it developed a few cracks at various places. The structure of the building will be renovated without incorporating any changes to maintain its sanctity.

“At present, the renovation and repair works are being carried out, including the line plastering and repairing of Madras terrace. We are using the old techniques that were employed during its construction 150 years ago,” the official added.

The important materials used in the conservation process are lime mortar and teakwood. “Engineers are not using Reinforced Concrete Cement (RCC) to restore it,” he said.

They are using a mixture of sand, lime, palm jaggery and harde whole. They will be soaked close to a fortnight, before using it for the renovation works. The plastering is done with egg whites. It will be smeared on the walls using pebbles. The renovation work is expected to be completed within a year.