On Wednesday evening, Jayanthi, a 35-year-old woman was stuck in the elevator, in the L Block in the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) tenements, Perumbakkam. It took one hour, 15 men and a few logs to rescue her.
Residents state this is a common occurrence in the tenements and in many blocks, the elevators work only twice a week. Many persons with disabilities and the elderly are put to hardship due to this.
“Jayanthi had come to meet her friend and was stuck in the elevator on the third floor. Hearing her cry for help we rushed to her aid. Some women gave her water and fruits. Some men finally managed to open the elevator door and pull her out,” said a resident of the tenements.
Some residents claimed that it was a common occurrence in the 1st block in the new tenements. “The elevator works only twice a week and people are forced to climb the stairs. Our repeated complaints have not yielded any result,” added another woman resident.
Last year, a lift came crashing down in C Block. “Emergency Rescue Devices that brings the box to the nearest landing in case of a power cut, should be installed in the lifts. Besides, the equipment should be maintained well. The life of residents is at stake here,” she added.
A TNSCB official said that Emergency Rescue Devices are installed in all elevators, but they do not work in many of them. “We will be replacing them. We have asked lift operators to stay inside the elevator, but most often they don’t do it,” said an official.
