11 locations in Kochi find a place on Centre’s list of high-security zones

New Delhi: The Central Home Ministry has released a list of high-security zones in six states, including Kerala, and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands where the Official Secrets Act will be in force.

The areas in Kerala mentioned in the list are located in Kochi and the Southern Naval Command and Cochin Shipyard are among them.

Very stringent surveillance and security measures will be implemented in the high-security zones, which are mostly institutions under or allied with the Union Ministry of Defence. With the application of the Official Secrets Act, severe restrictions would be imposed on the general public in these areas.

The Central Home Ministry’s official notification publishing the list warns that disclosure of information regarding the places notified as high-security zones would give an advantage to countries which are enemies of India. Apart from Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the list includes high-security zones in Telangana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

The high-security zones in Kochi are:

• Cochin Shipyard
• Container Freight Station
• Naval Jetty
• Ro-Ro Jetty
• Kochi Naval Base
• Cochin Port Trust land
• Cochin Port Trust Quarters
• Port Trust Kendriya Vidyalaya
• Oil Tank of Konkan Storage Systems
• Kundannoor Highway and Walkway
• Naval Airport