1 inspector, 5,026 lifts

Law states that every elevator has to be checked twice a year, but with just 13 inspectors for city's 65,326 lifts, our safety is at grave risk

Law states that every elevator has to be checked twice a year, but with just 13 inspectors for city's 65,326 lifts, our safety is at grave risk

When was the last time your building's lift was checked? A MiD DAY investigation after the Thane fire tragedy earlier this month, where six firemen died in a lift during rescue operations, has revealed some startling figures.

There are only 13 people to inspect the 65,326 lifts in the city that's just one person for 5,025 lifts.

Half-year checks

According to a 1977 rule, a lift has to be inspected by a government official every six months.

Tragic End: Six firemen were charred to death in this lift in Thane's Tarangan building during rescue operations earlier this month.

But the severe shortage of inspectors makes that an impossible task, admits the PWD's lift department, which is in charge of the city's elevators.

"One engineer has to inspect 100 lifts every month. Even if all our inspectors achieve their target, they can check only 15,600 lifts a year," said Imtiaz Sheikh, an engineer working with the PWD's lifts department.

Another officer of the department added, "We are aware of the staff shortage. We have sent a request to the state government about increasing our staff."

Know your lift

If the lift jerks, there's a problem with its pulley's bearing
If the lift makes noise while it's in motion, there is a fault in its gearbox or motor
A lift that wobbles is surely faulty

Accidents

On May 7, a 53-year-old man died after he fell in the space beneath an elevator in a building. Ismail Qureishi entered the lift and it started moving even before the door was closed.

Qureishi lost balance and fell outside the lift. He then fell in the lift's shaft and sustained serious head injuries

On May 3, 2004, seven-year-old Kiran Kambli died when the lift started climbing upwards while she was trying get out of it.

The same day, Jayshree Kothawadekar (41) died when the lift stopped between two floors and she fell into the shaft. A few days later, Puja Gupta (9) died after getting stuck between the two grills of the lift.