Rat trap manufacturers move HC to quash petition banning glue boards

Mumbai: Rat trap manufacturers, feeling cornered by notifications calling for a ban on glue boards, have petitioned the Bombay high court (HC) to have them quashed.

The circulars, first issued in August 2011 and then in November 2020 by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), are “illegal and arbitrary” and have infringed their legal and various fundamental rights, the pest control companies contended.

The AWBI said glue traps are inhumane and contrary to provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The AWBI said that glue traps can be extremely painful and inhumane, causing prolonged suffering for the trapped animals. The trap broads, in particular, are notorious for causing unnecessary suffering as rodents can remain stuck for hours or days before dying of starvation or dehydration.

In contrast, pest control firms contend that glue traps offer a non-toxic, pesticide-free method for managing rodent infestations in India.

According to the manufacturers, the original 2011 circular was merely advisory, and the Maharashtra government did not implement any ban at that time. However, in 2020, the AWBI secretary sent a directive to all states and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade in Delhi, urging measures to prohibit the manufacture and importation of glue traps, as outlined in the petition from various pest control companies.

Last September, the Glue Boards Manufacturers Association reported discovering through media articles that a ban had been enacted. However, the petition filed in May and registered in July 2024 asserts that no official circular detailing the ban has been released.

In addition to their concerns over ambiguity regarding the ban, the manufacturers argue that no legal framework exists to differentiate between humane and inhumane methods for assessing cruelty inflicted on rodents, which undermines the justification for such a ban.