The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) has announced an order aimed at strengthening security measures for Ammonium Nitrate. This order was dated June 5, 2024.
The order is a result of a meeting held on June 5, 2024, led by the Joint Secretary (Explosives) at DPIIT. The meeting involved discussions with various stakeholders regarding the digitization of the entire Ammonium Nitrate transaction process.
New Tracking Requirement
The order requires all Ammonium Nitrate manufacturers and importers to comply with Rule 9 of the Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012. This rule requires barcoding of Ammonium Nitrate bags to facilitate tracking.
According to Rule 9 each bag containing Ammonium Nitrate must be marked with the identification number of the package or bar coding. The bags should serially numbered with date of bagging by means of stencilling, bar-coding, by [Radio Frequency Identification Device] tags or any other means by the manufacturer or importer as directed by the Chief Controller.
Importance of Tracking
PESO emphasizes the importance of barcode tracking for:
- Preventing Pilferage: Enhanced monitoring to deter potential theft or diversion of Ammonium Nitrate, which can be misused for security threats.
- National Security: Improved tracking safeguards national security by minimizing the risk of Ammonium Nitrate falling into the wrong hands.
- Public Safety: Stronger monitoring helps ensure public safety by deterring criminal activities involving Ammonium Nitrate.
Therefore, through this order, manufacturers and importers are required to:
- Implement barcoding on Ammonium Nitrate bags.
- Provide barcode readers for uploading data to the Ammonium Nitrate Regulatory System (ANRS).
