As per the SOPs, causing pain or suffering to bulls should be strictly avoided and their safety, security and welfare should be ensured. | Photo credit: G. MOORTHY

The state government has issued an elaborate standard operating procedure (SOP) to be followed to ensure smooth conduct of Jallikattu events in 2025. Responsibilities of district administration, animal husbandry, revenue, health , public works, police and fire and rescue services. departments besides that of the organizing committees, the bull owners and tamers have been specified in the SOP distributed to all district collectors.

The SOP has been issued to be followed by the officials and organizers under the overall supervision and control of the Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services and the Animal Welfare Board of India.

Jallikattu takes place from January, coinciding with the Pongal festivities, and continues until May. One of the points to be strictly enforced is that permission should be granted only for those events which are proposed to be conducted in the manner prescribed under Rule 3(2) of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Crime Rules. Cruelty to Animals (Conduct of Jallikattu), 2017. Under no circumstances should jallikattu events be allowed to take place at places other than those notified by the government.

As per protocol, pain or suffering to bulls must be strictly avoided. Their safety, security and well-being must be ensured. Organizers who do not have permission from the district collector should not be allowed to organize the event. All stakeholders should be made aware of online registration of events, tamers and bulls. Applications are to be processed through online mode on the newly developed web portal for Jallikattu events. www.jallikattu.tn.gov.in

The district collector will form a committee for the jallikattu comprising officials from revenue, animal husbandry, police, health, fire and rescue and public works department to supervise and ensure that the events take place in accordance with prescribed rules. The Jallikattu monitoring committee should issue an NOC only after evaluating all arrangements and cooperation of the organizers.

The revenue team should inspect the selected site to verify that there is sufficient space and security and ensure that all wells located within a radius of approximately 5 km around the site are closed. They must check that the location of the event is located as far away from human habitation as possible.

Animal Husbandry Department officials should review the location and facilitate approval of the development of the proposed location. Bulls must be examined by the veterinary team. A veterinary team must be deployed in the collection area to examine and provide necessary medical assistance if necessary to the bulls that have completed the course.

The health department team must screen tamers with a fitness check for drug or alcohol use before they enter the arena. Emergency medical care and ambulance service must be made available on site. PWD officials must certify the spectator gallery and ensure double barricading of the arena.

The police must ensure that the bull collection park is free of spectators, onlookers and the general public. The organizing committee should erect an eight-foot double barricade between the bullfighting area and the collection yard and take responsibility for the entire event. The registration of bulls must be carried out by the organizers without any professional misconduct. All activities must be filmed. Detailed SOPs have been issued separately for organizing Manjuvirattu, Vadamadu and Erudu Vidum Vizha events.