Shama Desai, seven-year-old Bhargav's mother, is locking up his toys. "I do not know if they are safe." She is not the only mother to be scared.
Parents are becoming toy-phobic. Shama Desai, seven-year-old Bhargav's mother, is locking up his toys. "I do not know if they are safe." She is not the only mother to be scared. Says Mamta Sen, mom to Toya, 3, and Tonoya, 5: "First it was Chinese toys, now even Indian ones have a problem. I have started buying drawing books, musical instruments and clay kits for my kids. But it's difficult to explain to them why they shouldn't be playing with toys any more."
"The toy market in India is unregulated", says Ravi Aggrawal, director of Toxic Links, an NGO working on environmental issues. "India has no safety standards for toys. The Bureau of Indian Standards has set standards for toy manufacturers, but it's a technical body. It is up to individual companies to follow the specifications.”
A study conducted by Toxic Links found high lead content in toys made by Indian companies. The toxicity level was higher than the accepted US standard of 600 ppm (parts per million)."This is scary as even big companies may be making toys harmful for children," says Aggrawal.
Dr Anahita Hedge, a pediatric neurologist, says lead consumption can be very harmful, especially for toddlers: "Consumption of lead over a prolonged phase can cause weakness in arms and legs, behavioural changes, and dulling of the brain."
Paresh Chawla, president of the Toy Association of India (TAI) says, "We have been testing toys for around four-five years and Indian toys have had quality problems."
Priya Shaikh, CEO, Plastech International agrees that earlier safety standards were not being taken seriously by toy manufacturers, due to the absence of a regulatory body. "Now Indian toy makers will have to be more conscientious. Parents will now see the safety certification before buying toys for their kids. As an added measure, we are now ensuring the CE certification (international health and safety certification for products) for our toys and even for our paint and pigment suppliers."
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