Regular upkeep must to prevent lift deaths: TEEA

HYDERABAD: In recent days, lifts in buildings have become veritable death traps. There have been several incidents in which unwary persons died all because lifts had not been properly maintained.

Experts argue that many of these tragedies could have been avoided if the maintenance of the elevators had been taken care of properly.

Speaking to TNIE, B Narsing Rao, president of the Telangana Elevators and Escalators Association (TEEA), emphasised the importance of regular lift maintenance.

He said that lifts should be inspected at least once every two months. “Agencies offer comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMCs) for lift inspections. If building owners sign these contracts, a technical team will visit monthly to conduct thorough checks,” he explained.

Rao added that technicians provide detailed reports on the lift’s condition, including necessary repairs or replacements. Building owners and maintenance teams should also inquire about lift safety and operating systems, and other critical details. “The cost of an AMC ranges from Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 for gate-operated lifts and Rs 24,000 to Rs 30,000 for automatic doors,” he noted. In a recent tragedy, Thota Gangaram (58), an additional superintendent-rank police officer who was also former Chief Security Officer (CSO) at the Telangana Secretariat died after accidentally falling into an apartment lift shaft in Sircilla.

Waiting for the lift on the third floor, he mistakenly believed it had arrived, opened the door, and stepped in, only to fall into the shaft. He succumbed to multiple injuries in hospital.

Rao pointed out that in Karnataka, lifts cannot operate without permission from the PWD and the Electricity department. However, in Telangana, some builders use the same electric meters for both lifts and residential units. This can lead to technical issues when power usage spikes simultaneously in homes and lifts.

Despite the pressing need for regulation, a draft bill for the Telangana Lift Act, prepared in 2015, remains unimplemented even after a decade. “Many of those involved in drafting the bill have since retired, but the government has yet to enact it. We hope it will be tabled in the next three to four months,” Rao added.

Deaths in lifts

• March 13, 2025: A lift at Gandhi Hospital malfunctioned, leaving people stranded for several minutes

• March 12, 2025: A 4-year-old boy died after being trapped between a lift door and its grill in Asifnagar

• February 21, 2025: A six-year-old boy lost his life after being trapped in a lift in Nampally

• September 2017: An insurance employee died after falling into a lift shaft in Hyderabad

• October 2017: A 10-year-old boy died in a lift accident

• March 11, 2025: A police officer fell into a lift shaft in Sircilla & died