Mumbai: The Maharashtra energy department recently issued an advisory specifying international standards for the installation of fire evacuation lifts in buildings 70 metres and above (22-storeys) in height. The advisory comes into force with retrospective effect, starting July 20, 2022.
An official from the Maharashtra energy department, Uday Dambe, said that international norms and provision specifications for the installation of fire evacuation lifts had been incorporated by his department.
He said that an international committee led by Hong Kong, London, Singapore, Taiwan and Chicago had specified the manner of installation of fire evacuation lifts and other aspects, and these had been adopted.
In fact, such fire evacuation lifts have already been in place in several countries since 2004, Dambe said. The purpose of issuing an advisory was mainly to bring it under the ambit of regulations, he added.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade had, in 2018, issued a notification for the provision of a ‘firemen evacuation lift’ in buildings taller than 70 metres. However, the use of words like ‘firemen evacuation lift’ in the notification diluted the definition of ‘lift’.
In the commencement certificate (CC) required by developers for starting a project, words like ‘mechanized ascending or descending device’, ‘controlled lowering device’ and ‘external evacuation system’ were used, giving developers the leeway to not obtain the necessary permissions, licences and valid certification from the energy department. They could simply get a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the chief fire officer, the official claimed.
A developer must obtain permission for lifts commonly installed in buildings and is required to submit an online application. Only after inspection by the engineer is the certification given in 30 days. This was not the case in the 2018 notification.
“Now, with the advisory in place, this same procedure will be applicable for the installation of fire evacuation lifts, henceforth,” the official informed.
The advisory states that several fire evacuation lifts have been installed in highrises of 70 metres and above in Mumbai city and the suburbs.
However, these installations were found to be unsafe, not in conformity with design standards, construction and operational procedures and without having received the necessary approvals from the concerned competent authorities, thus raising an alarm and necessitating intervention in the installation of fire evacuation lifts currently and forcing them under the ambit of a regulatory environment.
Mumbai Chief Fire Officer Hemant Parab said that now developers would have to get fire evacuation lifts certified by the competent authority.
“Only after that will fire NOCs be given. If a developer fails to do so, the clearance for building occupancy certificate (OC) will also be affected, eventually,” he informed.
