A bill to ensure the safety of lift occupants that makes it mandatory for building authorities to install rescue devices, alarms, and surveillance cameras in elevators is set to be introduced in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday.
The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government’s move comes in the wake of multiple lift crashes in the state, especially in the high-rises of Noida and other parts of Delhi-NCR.
In December 2023, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the draft Uttar Pradesh lift and Accelerator Bill, 2023, after reviewing a presentation on it at his Lucknow residence. The Chief Minister’s move came days after nine IT professionals returning home after work were injured when the lift in a commercial building, River Side Tower in Sector 125, crashed to the ground from the eighth floor.
The increase in multi-storey buildings had increased the use of lifts and escalators, said the CM.
“People’s safety is important, and for this purpose, it is necessary to strictly ensure adherence to prescribed procedures for construction, quality, built-in safety features, installation, operation, and maintenance of lifts and escalators,” he said.
The bill makes installing an auto rescue device in an escalator mandatory so that in case of an outage or any other fault, passengers trapped inside reach the nearest landing, and the door opens automatically. It also makes installing emergency bells, CCTV cameras, adequate lighting, and communication systems in lifts and escalators mandatory for communication with people outside.
In October 2023 the Uttar Pradesh government announced a penalty of ₹1 lakh and a three-year jail term for incidents involving lift closures, breakdowns, and other accidents. The move had come in the wake of a tragic incident in September, where nine construction workers had died in a lift crash at Amrapali Dream Valley in Noida Extension.
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