ETTAYAPURAM: Social Welfare and Women Empowerment P Geetha Jeevan on Thursday said that restoration work on the birthplace of Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi, which was damaged in last year’s rain, is progressing with care to preserve its heritage features. She said the project is being expedited and will be completed by January next year.

The house in Ettayapuram partially collapsed during heavy rain on March 25 last year. The State government sanctioned Rs 1.53 crore for the restoration project, with a mandate to retain the original architectural style and rebuild it using only the materials used in the past.

Public Works Department engineers are using a traditional mixture of kadukkai (myrobalan), karuppatti (palm jaggery) and lime to restore the building without altering its old structure. The project, which has been ongoing for nearly a year, has now been accelerated.

Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment P Geetha Jeevan, district Collector Ilampakavath, and Vilathikulam MLA Markandeyan visited the site on Thursday to review the progress of the conservation work. Officials briefed them on the methods being used to ensure the building’s authenticity.

With Bharathi’s birth anniversary approaching in December, the district Collector instructed officials to expedite work to complete it at the earliest. However, officials said the recent spells of rain had slightly delayed the process. They added that the restoration is expected to be completed by the first week of January.