New Heights, Old Problems: Faulty lifts raise Noida-like mishap threat in Lucknow
Reportedly, there are over 1,000 high-rise projects underway in Lucknow, including initiatives by the Lucknow Development Authority, Housing Board (Awas Vikas), and private builders.
LUCKNOW The tragic incident in Greater Noida, where four labourers lost their lives as a service lift plunged from the 14th floor of an under-construction high-rise building, has sent shockwaves through the state capital, Lucknow. This unfortunate event highlights the pressing concerns surrounding the rapid vertical urbanisation taking place in Lucknow, mirroring the development seen in larger metropolises. With an ever-increasing number of high-rises dotting the cityscape and countless more in the pipeline, the risk of similar accidents in Lucknow is a growing worry.
In a grim reminder of this potential danger, a similar incident occurred in Lucknow just last July when a labourer and his contractor met a tragic end after falling from a service lift in an under-construction hotel building. The ongoing issue of lift-related incidents in the city, stemming from faulty lifts, poor maintenance practices, and a lack of accountability, is a ticking time bomb that could result in a catastrophe akin to the one witnessed in Noida.
Reportedly, there are over 1,000 high-rise projects underway in Lucknow, including initiatives by the Lucknow Development Authority, Housing Board (Awas Vikas), and private builders.
Uma Shankar Dubey of Jan Kalyan Mahasamiti, an organisation associated with over 450 high-rise buildings in Lucknow, expressed his concern, stating, “There are over 1,000 high-rise buildings in the city, comprising an estimated 5,000-6,000 towers. Unfortunately, many of the lifts installed in these structures are either faulty or receive inadequate maintenance. Mishaps in these lifts have become distressingly common.”
Alok Kumar, the founder and president of the Federation of Association of Apartment Owners and a member of the RERA conciliation forum, emphasised the urgent need for a Lift Act in Uttar Pradesh. He explained, “In the absence of a proper law, accountability remains elusive, with only negligence charges being levied in the event of mishaps. A Lift Act would establish clear mandates governing lift quality, maintenance, and accountability, among other crucial aspects.”
Kumar, who has been advocating for such a law for years, lamented, “Despite numerous meetings with chief secretary Durga Shankar and other senior officials over the past 7-8 years, no concrete action has been taken.”
FAULTY LIFTS AND POOR MAINTENANCE
Lucknow residents are increasingly finding themselves trapped in malfunctioning lifts, especially in the city’s high-rise buildings. Throughout the year, numerous incidents have been reported in areas like Jankipuram extension, involving towers such as Smriti, Sargam, and Shristi apartments, as well as Gomti Nagar, where Parijat Apartments stands.
Vivek Sharma, a resident of Shristi Apartments, where such incidents are all too frequent, lamented, “The lifts in LDA and Awas Vikas buildings are both defective and of poor quality. Matters only worsen due to neglectful maintenance. In our building, people frequently get stuck, and it feels like a major accident waiting to happen.”
Pawan Singh, a resident of Sopan Enclave in Faizullaganj, added, “Whenever there’s even a slight rainfall, the shafts fill with water, rendering the lifts inoperable.”
PAST INCIDENTS
Several alarming lift-related incidents in Lucknow serve as a grim reminder of the dangers at hand:
July 16: Two individuals, including foreman Yogesh Kumar Mishra (42) and labourer Bharatlal Lodhi (42), tragically lost their lives when a makeshift lift plummeted from a height of 30 feet at an under-construction marriage hall in Raebareli Road’s Vrindavan Colony Sector-6.
June 19: Twelve students, aged between 19 and 21, preparing for medical exams were trapped inside a lift for 30 minutes at a coaching institute in Hazratganj’s New Janpath complex, necessitating a rescue operation by the Fire Department.
May 23: In an alarming incident, elderly patient Mohammad Sharif suffered serious injuries when a lift fell into the shaft at a private hospital in Lucknow’s Hussainganj area. Sharif was rushed to the emergency room at the Civil Hospital, where he received stitches for head and stomach injuries, highlighting the severe risks posed by malfunctioning lifts in the city.