



Centre moves to tighten ammonium nitrate transport rules after Delhi blast
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI: The Centre plans to tighten the regulatory framework governing the transport of ammonium nitrate by extending legal responsibility from only consignors to also consignees, depending on who provides the transport vehicle.
The move is aimed at closing a long-standing gap that security agencies say has allowed accountability for diverted or misused consignments to be contested during transit. The push comes against the backdrop of the 2025 Red Fort blast and the seizure of a large consignment in Faridabad.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has proposed amendments to the Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012, to plug regulatory gaps that enforcement agencies say allow responsibility during transit to be contested or diffused, particularly when consignors and consignees rely on each other’s transport arrangements. The DPIIT released the draft amendment rules on 4 February, as per a government order reviewed by Mint.
The proposed changes under the draft Ammonium Nitrate (Amendment) Rules, 2026, seek to clearly fix accountability based on who provides the transport vehicle, mandating that ammonium nitrate be moved strictly on the strength of a valid transport licence held either by the consignor or the consignee, as the case may be. Ammonium nitrate is widely used in mining, construction and fertilizer-related applications and is also diverted for illegal use.
According to a government official, the move is intended to strengthen traceability and prevent ambiguity over liability during transit, a loophole that security agencies have flagged in the past. “The draft notification also proposes extending compliance obligations to occupiers, in addition to
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