AWBI member chairs review meeting on bull races in Krishnagiri

KRISHNAGIRI Organisers of Eruthu Vidum Vizha or bull race are mandated to ensure all protocols are f

 Organisers of Eruthu Vidum Vizha or bull race are mandated to ensure all protocols are followed to prevent human and animal casualties, said S.K. Mittal, member, Animal Welfare Board and Jallikattu Monitoring officer.

He chaired a consultative meeting and did a review of Jallikattu and Eruthu Vidum Vizha protocols here on Tuesday. The meeting was presided over by Collector Deepak Jacob at the Collectorate.

The slew of guidelines includes a track length of not more than 150 m and the length of the race not exceeding 100 m. The circumference of the arena must not have wells or water bodies and the gallery shall be reinforced by 8 ft high barricades for the safety of spectators. Similarly, the spectator count shall not exceed 150 people, according to the guidelines. However, the guidelines are constantly flouted in the absence of rigorous supervision.

The permission to race is conditional upon compliance with the protocols, which will be vetted by a joint inspection by the departments of revenue, animal husbandry, fire and rescue services among others.

The meeting comes in the wake of last week’s vandalism over delay in permission for Eruthu Vidum Vizha that led to localised violence on the national highway derailing inter-State traffic for over several hours.