Monday, November 12, 2012

Getting stuck in lift at a high-rise

Watch this 90 second video before you read.  The wailing sound you hear is a siren from someone stuck in a lift as power went out in our high-rise residential complex. Our lifts - we have 19 at Mantri Synergy - are not fitted with automatic rescue device (ARD).
Whoever gets caught in a lift when power goes off stays stuck in there till power supply is resumed. And it takes anytime from 2 mins to 20 for our diesel generated back-up power to kick in. It took nearly half-hour for  power supply to be restored  last evening (Sunday). This video was taken from our 9th floor flat when we were some 10 minutes into the darkness that covered the entire apartments complex.
At Padur, on OMR, you never can tell when the state electricity board switches off power supply. Unannounced EB power shut-down, frequent as they are, add up to 6 to 8 hours daily.. This is a situation about which none of us were aware when we bought apartments at Mantri Synergy. Developers had assured us of 24/7 power supply through an effective back-up system.

Question: 1) Weren't developers on OMR aware of erratic power supply situation in Padur-Kelambakkam neighbourhood ?
2) Shouldn't they have shared this info. with prospective apartment buyers ?
3) Now that we are faced with fait accompli, aren't  Mantri as well as the other builders in Padur-Kelambakkam neighbourhood socially, morally, if not legally,  responsible  for exploring  possibilities -   such as petitioning the EB authorities,  proposing to govt. and  participating in joint solar/wind energy and renewable energy projects? 


Even when we get EB power supply at Mantri's the voltage is so low that you need to operate DG to keep lifts, water pumping, BSNL phone/broadband network functioning. Domestic Air-conditioners and washing machines wouldn't work under low voltage power supply. It may not make business sense for real estate developers to mention all this to prospective apartment buyers. And those going in for apartments in Padur, Kelambakkam and beyond on OMR would would do well to factor in erraticity of EB power supply. Frequent power cut and voltage erraticity raises the monthly maintenance bill  for apartment owners. At Mantri Synergy we pay Rs.1,500 a month as water and diesel charges.
I don't know about other communities, but at Mantri Synergy the lifts do not have automatic rescue device (ARD). We have 9 blocks, 12 floors in each, and 19 lifts in the complex. A proper and fully functional lift goes with construction of a high-rise building. I wonder if developers cutting corners on this score can be taken to consumer courts.

3 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear the lift and power cut issues. Is this 8-9 hours daily power cut the norm at Padur and beyond (Kelambakkam, Thiruporur etc). How about Navalur, Kazhipattur etc. Do they also have 8-9 hours powercut and have to depend on DG sets?

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    Replies
    1. Do check with the developers where their project sources power from - Kelambakkam or Siruseri sub-station. If it is Siruseri your are connected with, you probably get away with a 2 hour power cut.

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  2. Will the kudankulam project, power getting the released power from Delhi and CM's promises of restoring EB issues by 2013 (forgot which month) help our state better?

    I am not a resident but a buyer of one of the upcoming projects in Padur.

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