Pune: Call For Mandatory Lift Safety Audits In Housing Societies As Maharashtra Act Awaits Implementation
Pune: Call For Mandatory Lift Safety Audits In Housing Societies As Maharashtra Act Awaits Implementation
Pune, December 13, 2025: Concerns over the safety, maintenance, and breakdown management of lifts in housing societies have resurfaced, with renewed calls for mandatory lift safety audits and the urgent implementation of updated regulations across Maharashtra.
At present, lift operations in housing societies continue to be governed by the outdated Lift Safety Policy of 1958, which experts and civic representatives say is inadequate for modern lift technology. Although the Maharashtra Lift & Moving Walkways Act, 2017 was passed by the State Government, it has not yet been implemented, while proposed amendments to its draft rules are still awaiting final approval.
Stakeholders have stressed that the new regulatory framework must include modern safety standards, compulsory safety audits, and provisions aligned with current technology.
Key demands include the mandatory installation of breakdown and accident memory recording devices in lifts, as well as clear accountability mechanisms in the event of lift failures or accidents.
Shivaji Nagar Constituency MLA Siddharth Shirole in the winter Assembly session raised the issue stating immediate implementation of the Act. He said, “Due to the continued delay in implementation, housing societies remain without adequate legal protection, and the safety of residents continues to be at risk. I strongly urge the government to finalize the pending amendments and immediately implement the Maharashtra Lift & Moving Walkways Act, 2017, without further delay, in the interest of public safety.”
An Urgent Call for Lift Safety in Housing Societies
— Siddharth Shirole (@SidShirole) December 12, 2025
Safety, maintenance, and breakdown management of lifts in housing societies are matters of serious concern. Unfortunately, the current regulatory framework is still based on the outdated Lift Safety Policy of 1958, which is… pic.twitter.com/1EumUKv1sI
According to safety advocates, the prolonged delay in enforcing the 2017 Act has left housing societies without adequate legal safeguards, placing residents—especially senior citizens, children, and persons with disabilities—at continued risk.
There has been a strong appeal to the state government to finalise the pending amendments and immediately implement the Maharashtra Lift & Moving Walkways Act, 2017, ensuring regular lift safety audits in housing societies and strengthening public safety measures across urban residential complexes.
