Defence Expo turns Lucknow residents into ‘forced’ vegans

More than 35,000 residents of Lucknow living along the 11 km stretch between Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport and Vrindavan Colony where the Defence Expo is slated to be held from February 5-8, will have to turn strictly vegetarian for 20 days.

The reason being that the district administration has ordered a temporary closure of all meat, chicken and fish shops in this area from January 20 to February 9. No, even eggs are not permissible in this period. All roadside vendors selling omelette, egg fry or any nonvegetarian items will have to shut their business for the exhibition.

There is no clarity behind the rationale to close the shops for 15 days in advance. The move is being dubbed as “part of the security arrangements” for the 11th Defence Expo.

Even roadside vendors selling eggs or meat items and food vans will be removed from the route for at least 20 days.

Arvind Rao, nodal officer for the expo at Lucknow Municipal Corporation explained to media: “The area has been declared a low-fly zone and the protocol involves closure of all meat shops in a seven km radius of the airport to make it a meat-free zone.”

Officials said that fighter planes participating in the show will take off and land at the CCS Airport. They will fly low until they reach an open ground in the Vrindavan Colony, where the air show will be performed.

“Closing meat shops is essential to deter birds from the area to avoid accidents with planes,” the official said.