Recurring lift mishaps cast shadow of doubt over safety of NOIDA highrises
Noida: People spend lakhs and crores to buy their dream house, expecting that life will be a little easier for them. But amid recurring lift mishaps, many of those who live in highrise societies here are concerned about their safety.
People living and working in highrise societies these days are looking scared of using lifts as they fear who knows when and which lift will get stuck midway and for how long.
The panic has been triggered after multiple lift-related mishaps, especially after the death of a 72-year-old woman in a lift accident at Paras Tierea Society in Noida Sector 137 on August 3.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself has said that he will implement the Lift Act as soon as possible and accountability will be fixed.
The issue of lift has also been raised in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. To which, the Chief Minister had assured that the state will have the best Lift Act.
On December 22, as many as nine people were seriously injured after a lift crashed from the eighth floor of River Site Tower in Noida Sector-125. All the injured were admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment, where they are undergoing treatment. After receiving the information, the police reached the spot and inspected the incident site. A crowd of people gathered at the spot after the accident.
According to the police, all the injured are out of danger.
Getting stuck in lifts has become a common problem in several highrise societies and the elderly and children are particularly vulnerable as they use lifts more than others.
On June 27, nine people were trapped in a lift at Ghaziabad’s Gaur Home Society and help arrived after nearly 15 minutes.
On July 10, four women and two children were stuck in a lift at Mahagun Mantraa Society in Greater Noida West for nearly 20 minutes and were eventually rescued by the maintenance team of the society. After this incident, the traumatised children have vowed to use the stairs.
On July 28, Ramkishan, 29, who worked as a supervisor in a company in Noida’s Sector-63 got stuck in the lift. Suddenly the cable of the lift snapped and it plummeted. After much effort, Ramkishan was taken out of the lift and rushed to the nearby Kailash Hospital by his colleagues. However, he died while undergoing treatment.
On August 3, the cable of a lift in Paras Tierea Society in Sector-137 broke. Fortunately, the falling lift stopped two to three floors below the 24th floor, but the 73-year-old woman in the lift suffered a panic attack and became unconscious. The lift was broken open and the woman was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared her dead.
On August 11, two children and two elderly citizens were stranded for about 25 minutes when the lift suddenly broke down in the D-Tower of Charms Castle Society, Rajnagar Extension, Ghaziabad. When the intercom installed in the lift failed to function, people made calls for help from their mobile phones.
On September 15, 10 labourers were killed after a lift collapsed at the construction site of Dream Valley Project in Greater Noida.
On November 2, a lift crashed in Yatharth Hospital located in Noida Sector-110. This lift was used to carry goods. Four people working in the hospital were present at the time of the incident. The lift fell with a jerk due to the wire breaking.
People living in high-rise societies pay huge maintenance fees every month. This also includes lift maintenance, but the ever-increasing cases have ended the patience of the people. There is anger and rage among the people. They argue that when “we pay such huge maintenance fees every month, then who will take the responsibility for our security”.
The number of lift-related accidents is continuously increasing. What could be the actual reason behind this? In this regard, town planning expert Abhinav Singh Chauhan says that often the maintenance of lifts is not done timely and on several occasions, inferior materials are used in lifts, which could be possible reasons for such accidents.
Tampering with the electronic devices installed in the lift also becomes the cause of lift accidents. That is why historically, when small children travel in a lift, an elder needs to accompany them.
The Chief Minister, who recently visited Greater Noida, also discussed the issue of the Lift Act during a review meeting with officials. Gautam Buddha Nagar Police Commissioner Lakshmi Singh drew the attention of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath towards the frequent accidents.
The Chief Minister said, “In the last assembly session, the Lift Act was to be passed, but there were some shortcomings in it. I asked the concerned departments to give a presentation. Now orders have been given to remove the shortcomings. The Lift Act of Uttar Pradesh is the best. A law will be made. We will definitely pass the Lift Act in the next session.”
The Chief Minister has ordered the development authorities to control accidents related to lifts until the new law is introduced. Besides, the Fire Safety and Police Departments have also been asked to remain alert on issues related to lift maintenance.