TIRUCHY: Witnessing a footfall of about 9,000 as against the seating capacity of 810 during the district’s first jallikattu held at the newly-inaugurated arena in Periya Suriyur on Friday has prompted calls for expansion and better crowd management at the facility during future editions of the bull taming event.
The arena built on a five-acre site at a cost of Rs 3 crore as part of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT)’s project for a mini stadium in Thiruverumbur constituency was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday. The facility comprises permanent spectator galleries on either side, a vaadi vaasal, and emergency exits for injured tamers, among others.
Though the permanent galleries provide for a combined seating capacity of 810, the police said the venue witnessed an overall footfall of nearly 9,000 people. This includes bull tamers, cattle owners and organisers, besides the spectators. The crowding led to congestion at the galleries, forcing the police on bandobast duty to forcibly remove some spectators. This came even as several other people climbed the temporary fencing erected around the arena to watch the event.
J Syed Meeran, a resident of Woraiyur, said that he came early but had no space even to stand safe. “The people were asked to move out despite the crowd pushing from behind," he added. When enquired, District Collector V Saravanan told TNIE that the arena's actual capacity was higher than the seating capacity of 810. "The (arena’s) design is for around 1,400 spectators. We will explore additional options to manage the crowd demand in future," he said.
Meanwhile, an organiser of Friday’s jallikattu said, "This is the first major event at the new arena and the enthusiasm from spectators has been encouraging. While the current seating has limitations, the experience will help in planning additional galleries and better crowd movement for future events."
J Meghanatha Reddy, SDAT member secretary, said the department would conduct a detailed assessment. "This is the first major event at the venue and it is too early to draw conclusions. We will study the inflow pattern, including the number of participants and spectators, and enhance seating capacity accordingly," he told. Meanwhile, officials said the arena could be rented for upcoming jallikattu events as means of generating revenue.