Assam: Do lifts in malls and apartments have safety norms?

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The chief lifts and escalators officer of the Power Department of the state is going to carry out a drive to ascertain the adherence to the rules for installation and operation of lifts and escalators in urban areas in Assam.

According to sources, the urban areas in the state have been witnessing a mushrooming growth of apartments, commercial buildings, shopping malls, etc. that use lifts and escalators. However, there have been allegations that many of these building owners or agents do not adhere to safety guidelines in the installation and operation of lifts and escalators.

According to an official, the licences for lifts and escalators that are issued for a period of three years need renewal after every three years. “However, complaints keep coming to us that many owners of buildings continue to operate lifts and escalators without renewing their licences for operation. This violation is very common in apartments,” the official said.

The official further said, “Since lifts and escalators run with power, their timely inspection is a must to avoid any accidents that may prove fatal.”

The Assam Lifts and Escalators Act, 2006 was enacted to provide regulations on installations, maintenance, and safe working of electric lifts and escalators in the state and of all the machinery and apparatus pertaining thereto.

According to the Act, every owner of a building or agent has to apply for the installation of lifts and escalators by mentioning the speed of lifts and escalators, their weight-carrying capacity, the description of the supporting cables, etc.

Within a month of installation, the building owner should apply for a licence to operate lifts and escalators. The licence is issued for a period of three years, and it has to be renewed every three years.

This apart, the building owner or agent cannot alter the specifications of designs of the lifts and escalators as mentioned in the application without informing the authority concerned.

According to sources, the Act has provisions for penalties in the event of violations of rules. However, the amount of penalty is so meagre that the building owners or agents do not feel the pinch in paying it.

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