A petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the August 2011 circular issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), which banned rat glue traps in India. The circular declared glue traps inhumane and contrary to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. State governments only began implementing the ban in 2020.
The petition has been filed by companies like Gumtree Traps Pvt Ltd and Arbuda Agrochemicals Pvt Ltd, which manufacture glue traps and other pest control products. They argue that the ban on glue traps is arbitrary and not based on proper evaluation. The petitioners claim that their products are non-toxic and non-hazardous to humans, and in April 2024, they submitted a material safety data sheet detailing the components of these traps.
An intervention petition was filed by Akhil Bharat Krishi Go Seva Sangh, through Advocate Siddh Vidya, advocating for the implementation of the ban on glue traps. The Sangh argues that glue traps are among the most inhumane ways to capture rodents, as they often lead to severe injuries or death. The organisation highlights that these traps can also harm non-target animals, like birds and small wildlife, which get stuck and suffer from suffocation, starvation, or injury.
The intervention petition also points out that glue traps are banned in several countries, including the UK, the US, Germany, and Australia, due to concerns over animal welfare. These nations have adopted humane alternatives for pest control. Several Islamic countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, have also restricted glue traps due to their inhumane nature.
The intervener stresses that rodents caught in glue traps often die slow, painful deaths, contradicting the principles outlined in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. They advocate for more humane pest control alternatives that do not inflict unnecessary suffering.
The petitioners are seeking the quashing of the AWBI’s circular and have requested that no action be taken until the court decides on their plea. They argue that the ban negatively impacts their business and insist that their glue traps are a necessary and effective pest control solution. The petition will come up for hearing in due course of time.
