State-Wide Crackdown: Gujarat Outlaws Manufacture, Sale, and Use of Rat ‘Glue Traps’

In a sweeping regulatory move against animal cruelty, the Government of Gujarat has ordered a total and immediate ban on the manufacture, sale, storage, and usage of glue traps and sticky boards used for catching rats and small animals across the entire state. The decision, issued through a formal resolution by the Department of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Cooperation, halts all commercial and domestic deployment of these pest control devices.

Glue traps consist of board surfaces coated with exceptionally strong, non-drying adhesives designed to entangle pests upon contact. Once stuck, captured rodents or birds sustain severe physical injuries in frantic attempts to free themselves. Veterinary analysts and animal welfare authorities report that victims endure painful deaths, succumbing over days to starvation, thirst, suffocation, or extensive self-inflicted injuries.

Direct Conflict with National Animal Protection Statutes

The state government's resolution explicitly highlights that the mechanical nature of sticky traps directly violates Section 11(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which criminalizes acts causing unnecessary pain or suffering to animals. Furthermore, the directive aligns with advisory guidelines issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), which officially classifies glue traps as cruel, inhumane, and illegal control mechanisms.

Institutional Delisting Across GeM Portal and E-Commerce Platforms

To ensure complete systemic compliance, the Department of Industries and Mines has executed an immediate shutdown of glue trap procurement across official public and private distribution networks. All listings for sticky boards have been purged from the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, effectively restricting public sector purchasing.

Regulatory Directives & Enforcement Highlights

• Complete Commercial Prohibition: Traders, retailers, and wholesalers across Gujarat must immediately cease stocking, displaying, or selling sticky glue boards.
• Public Sector Procurement Blacklist: All government departments, public sector undertakings, municipal corporations, and local self-government bodies are prohibited from purchasing or utilizing glue traps.
• Domestic & Industrial Advisory: Citizens and commercial business operators are prohibited from deploying glue traps in residential premises, corporate offices, or manufacturing units.
• Empowered Enforcement Agencies: District police departments and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) hold full authorization to register complaints and initiate criminal investigations.
• Mandatory Humane Alternatives: Pest management protocols must transition to legally compliant, non-violent methods, including mechanical live-catch cages and non-lethal exclusion devices.

Online retail vendors and major third-party e-commerce platforms operating in Gujarat have also been directed to remove glue traps from their searchable catalogs and cancel existing delivery channels into the state.

Severe Legal Penalties Under New Criminal Codes

Violators who continue to produce, store, sell, or deploy glue traps face direct criminal prosecution under India's updated legal codes. State authorities confirmed that offenders will be booked under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (formerly Indian Civil Protection Code) and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 (formerly Indian Judicial Code). Law enforcement officers alongside SPCA inspectors are conducting field checks across markets to penalize non-compliant traders.

Mandatory Transition to Legally Permissible Pest Control

The Agriculture Department urges commercial enterprises, factory managers, and private households to adopt humane and scientifically approved pest management strategies. Authorities emphasize that rodent control should rely on sanitation, structural proofing, live-capture cage traps, and eco-friendly deterrents rather than inhumane sticky boards.