JUDGMENT

Kapadia, J.-Delay condoned.

Leave granted in SLP (C) 4434/04 CC No. 28455 of 1994.

2. By a voluminous judgment dated 14th February, 1994 in a public interest litigation instituted by Law Society of India a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court directed Fertilizers and Chemicals, Travancore Ltd. to de-commission and empty the ammonia storage tank at Willingdon Island within three months as the said tank was vulnerable to major leaks in the event of an air crash, sabotage and earthquake.

3. Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd. is a public sector undertaking which manufactures chemicals fertilizers to the extent of 4% of total fertilizer production in the country. Ammonia is the chemical used as raw material in production of fertilizers like Urea, Ammonium Sulphate and Ammonium Chloride. Ammonia imported in special refrigerated ships is stored in the storage tank located in Willingdon Island. It is pumped from the ships into the storage tank at an atmospheric pressure. The tank was designed in March, 1973 and it was commissioned in August, 1976 to receive liquid ammonia from special refrigerated ships. The ammonia stored in this tank is transferred into railway wagons whic