Consumer organisation moves HC against toxic toys

Mumbai, Sep 10 (UNI) A city-based consumer organisation has moved the Bombay High Court, seeking a ban on the manufacture and import of toxic toys, mainly from China, and also giving directions to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for formulating safety norms that would prescribe limits of hazardous chemicals in toys.

The Consumer Welfare Association cited the Mattel Corporation's decision to recall roughly 19 million toys from the US and European markets as the toys were found to be covered with lead paint, posing threat to the children's health.

The petition said the world's largest toys manufacturer like many other companies in this sector, has moved to China for manufacturing and presently more than 80 per cent of toys have been produced in the neighbouring country.

Insisting that there is a need to formulate toy safety directives, with precautionary principles, the petitioner organisation urged the court to direct the BIS to ascertain acceptable level of chemicals in toys and frame toy safety directives so as to prevent probable toxic health effects on children.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing before a division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice D Y Chandrachud.

UNI