A circular issued by Maharashtra State’s Energy Department in conjunction with the Municipal Corporation and the Fire Department has made it mandatory to install and operate a fire evacuation lift in every high-rise building scaling 70 meters and above since January 2018. The Energy Department has issued the circular as advisory on installation of the fire evacuation lifts in the high rise buildings having height 70m and above.
Making the ‘Fire Evacuation Lift’ mandatory is seen as a visionary step in providing safer and faster route for fire officers to reach the higher floors to save lives and assets. Maharashtra has become the first state in India to make fire evacuation lifts mandatory for buildings 70meters and above since January 2018.
As part of the evacuation solutions, many developers of high-rise buildings in Mumbai have installed or are currently opting to install non-standardized or low graded fire evacuation solutions/lifts. However, these non-standard fire solutions/evacuation lifts may not provide right security and safety to people in the event of a fire due to compromise in quality by the builders and regular passenger lift makers. In contrast, the fire evacuation lifts are far more secure and a safer option and are developed by specialized teams of a fire evacuation lift manufacturer.
It is mandatory to obtain permission for erection and license for operation of fire evacuation lifts in Maharashtra.
