DGMS (Tech) Circular 14 of 2026 — Guidelines for the use of permitted e-Detonators in underground mines

Summary

Addressed to all mine owners, agents and managers. Follows the Government's concern at the dangerous nature of electric detonators and the frequent seizure of illicit explosives, and the DPIIT Gazette notification S.O. 4255(E) of 29 September 2023 on their phased discontinuation, which pushed the industry towards trackable electronic alternatives. Electronic detonators are fully programmable devices containing a circuit board that can be set to initiate at a precisely defined time in a firing sequence; they are programmed with a handheld logger or programmer and fired through an e-Exploder, and carry traceability and security features including manufacturer-specific software, password-protected access and user authentication that reduce the possibility of unauthorised initiation. The circular distinguishes pre-programmed fixed-delay detonators, whose delay is set at the factory and cannot be changed by the user, from programmable-delay detonators set before blasting, and lays down the guidelines for using permitted electronic detonators in underground mines.