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Activists Warn of Hazardous Balloons Sold to Children in Mumbai Malls
19 Oct
Summary
- Concerned citizens report balloons sold in malls and on roads are filled with hydrogen, not helium
- Hydrogen-filled balloons pose explosion risk if hit by fireworks during Diwali festivities
- Balloon sellers use hydrogen as it is cheaper than helium, despite the danger
On October 19, 2025, concerned citizens in Mumbai have raised serious warnings about the safety of colorful balloons being sold to children in malls and on roadsides. According to local activist Anarjit Chauhan, many of these balloons, which are popular during the ongoing Diwali festivities, are filled with highly flammable hydrogen gas instead of the safer helium.
Chauhan states that if any live fireworks were to hit these hydrogen-filled balloons, it could cause a dangerous explosion and potentially injure the children playing with them. He has communicated this issue to the Navi Mumbai Fire Brigade, but no action has been taken so far. Another citizen added that even inside malls, the balloons are being filled with the cheaper but hazardous hydrogen gas rather than helium.
When a local newspaper, the Times of India, questioned a balloon seller in Nerul about the matter, he confirmed that hydrogen is indeed being used to inflate the balloons. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) commissioner, Kailas Shinde, has now promised to investigate the issue from a fire safety perspective.
