Residence owners of Bazarghat allow printing press in apartments for quick cash

Hyderabad: Balaji Residency, where nine residents of which died in a fire on Monday, is not an isolated case of a residential complex being used for storing combustible chemicals, with at least eight such chemical godowns present in Bazarghat, sources said.

Ramesh is among a group of chemical dealers who supply materials, mainly chemicals used in printing, dyeing and allied processes, to over 200 printing presses operating from the area, they said.

“Owners of some buildings hardly bother as they have been getting heavy rents and have completely let out their buildings to these printing presses. Operators of such presses have been storing and using even more flammable chemicals, which are a threat to the other residents,” Syed Mansoor, a local, said.

The main chemicals used in newsprint inks are pigments, resins, solvents and drying agents. Pigments are the colourants that give the ink its colour, resins are used to bind the pigments together and provide a smooth consistency, while solvents help to thin the ink and make it easier to apply to the paper.

Sandeep Reddy, a printing press worker, said: “The chemicals we use in printing are added with inflammable organic solvents benzene, toluene and waterborne lacquer, apart from these inks, adhesives and cleaning solvents. All of these are dangerous. Continuous exposure during our work also makes us frequently ill.”

“Press owners pay high rents to building owners, who are not aware of ill-effects and dangers posed by chemicals stored on the premises. Workers at other presses also complain of skin problems, dermatitis, allergies and asthma due to repeated exposure to UV inks and laminating adhesives,” he said.

A Clues official said that compounds made of benzene are highly combustible, even on exposure to 4 degrees Celsius flash, as evidenced by the fire incident.