Noida lift accident: Uttar Pradesh awaits Lift and Escalators Act as concerns rise

This is not the first lift accident in Noida. (file photo)

The recent accident where an elderly lady got injured in an alleged lift failure has worried residents in Noida, besides putting the focus back on the much-awaited Lift and Escalators Act.

On July 22, the Supertech Supernova resident got injured after a lift in her building allegedly malfunctioned and dropped from the 34th floor to the 17th floor in a free-fall. Supertech, however, denied the allegations and said that a probe is underway.

"There was only a small jerk in the lift, no free fall. The video is also available. We have a lifetime maintenance contract with Thyssenkrupp. We have written to them and their officials will inspect the lift. There was no mechanical or electrical fault in the lift," said a Supertech spokesperson.

Piyush Kalra, the woman's son, said that his mother is undergoing treatment for a slipped disc and a fracture.

The Gautam Buddha Nagar police registered an FIR against developer Supertech following a complaint filed by Kalra for alleged negligence and named its chairman RK Arora, director Mohit Arora, and lift maintenance firm YG Estate, the media report said.

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Incident raises concerns

Moneycontrol spoke to many residents of Noida and a majority of them said that they have concerns related to the safety of the lifts in their condominiums.

"Our society has lifts which are more than 10 years old. The RWA has opted for a local contractor for maintaining the lift to save money as the big firms charge more. If the upkeep is not up to the mark, it may lead to accidents," said a Noida tenant, who did not wish to be named.

Experts familiar with the issue said that giving an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) to local vendors could be dangerous as it also invalidates the warranty and insurance provided by the original firm.

There are also societies that are continuing with the original firm for the annual upkeep of the lifts. "After Supertech handed over the maintenance to the RWA, we are continuing with the same firm for annual maintenance which installed the lifts in our buildings. The cost of maintenance keeps increasing with the lifts aging," said UBS Teotia, president of the Emerald Court RWA.

Trends of High-rise and Lift Act

This is not the first lift accident in Noida. Before this, there have been many cases in which either people got trapped inside the lift requiring emergency evacuation or suffered fractures due to the intensity of the free-fall.

According to media reports, six people got trapped in a lift in June this year after the diesel generator set did not start following a power-cut. The automatic rescue system did also not work. In another case, 13 people got stuck inside a lift for around 30 minutes due to power-cut.

Also Read: Will court-monitored housing supply help rationalise real estate prices in Noida?

"Gautam Buddha Nagar is fast coming into vertical living and may overtake Mumbai in the next two decades in terms of high-rise buildings. Presently, we are totally relying on the service provider/vendor who does one AMC as per its wish. The vendor as well has to be regulated by certain laws. We have reached out to the government and Noida authorities through various forums. The Act has to be passed from Lucknow. Though there are laws to regulate the installation of lifts during the construction phase, but post that during operational phase, those guidelines that come from the Lift Act is missing. Why can't the government replicate the Maharashtra Lift Act first and keep making amendments if required? In many old apartments, the lift doesn't have an automatic rescue system. First, the government should bring the Act, and then monitor its implementation as well," said Rajiva Singh, president of Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations.

Given a rise in lift-related incidents, the Public Works Department had drafted a Lifts and Escalators Act in 2018, and sent it to the Uttar Pradesh government for approval. However, the Act is yet to get a nod from the assembly and see the light of day.

"At present, the Directorate of Electrical Safety gives a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the lifts, and only after that the authority issues Occupation Certificate to the developer. Presently, only Maharashtra has an Act for Lifts and Escalators. Given the rise in the culture of multi-storey apartments, a Lift Act is necessary for the state," said a senior Noida Authority official.