Nine-year-old Jeet Banerjee was trapped in a Sonari housing complex elevator for an hour in September. Husband-wife duo Sushila and Bipin Chaudhury had survived a similar scare in Mango in January. Dhrupa Ranpara of Baradwari still has nightmares about the elevator snag she faced in the summer of 2016.

It is not mere coincidence that these strangers were caught in analogous situations in different places at different times. Eight out of 10 elevators installed in apartment blocks in the steel city malfunction with alarming regularity, triggering anxiety, claustrophobia and even death, as in the case of Kumari Mahto, the maid who was crushed between grille doors of a lift at Syndicate Colony in Kadma on Monday.

The primary reason behind these routine snags is poor — or zero — maintenance. This newspaper has found out that around 150 lift technicians operate in the city. They take annual maintenance contracts from more than 4,500 standalone apartments and housing societies, but only appear on site when a formal complaint is lodged.

Jeweller Mukesh Ranpara recalled how wife Dhrupa spent one harrowing hour at their Chandra Kunj residence in Baradwari two years ago.

“We have been staying in the apartment for six years. The building has one lift. In March 2016, my wife was stuck inside after the door locking system malfunctioned. The next day, I called technicians and fixed the mechanical problem. We installed a double lock,” said Ranpara, who is also secretary of the apartment block that has 18 flats. He added, “It is always advisable to doubly secure elevator doors to avoid major mishaps.”

Most multi-storey residential buildings in the city boast Otis elevators, a prominent brand. But, maintenance work that is often outsourced remains shoddy, like at Skyline Tower in Mango.

“There are 70 flats in this tower and only one lift, which has again been out of order for a month. Upkeep is a big issue,” said resident Chaudhury who was rescued along with his wife following a third-floor snag earlier this year.

Like the Chaudhurys, little Jeet was trapped on the fifth floor of Madhusudan Radhakrishna Complex in Sonari. He was saved by a security guard who called in maintenance staff.

The four-storey Galaxy Apartment in Bistupur seemed like a sanctuary amid all the peril. Here, the lone elevator is lucky to receive routine care.

Eric Liu, president of Galaxy, said their Otis lift had a monthly maintenance scheduled, snag or no snag.

“We have not had a problem in 20 years. That is solely because we do not compromise on safety. If a system needs upkeep, it gets upkeep. If the mechanic on contract does not arrive on his own, housing society members ensure he is called for the monthly job,” Liu said.

On an average, each of the 150 technicians in the city shoulders the burden of 30 apartments, which often leads to hasty and hence, poor upkeep.

Sunil Kumar, a mechanic, said doors of an elevator and its locking system needed periodic monitoring. “I never let my clients down. Maintenance is the key to safety. It is a matter of life and death,” he summed it up best.