Gujarat bans production and sale of glue traps for rodents

The Gujarat state government, through its Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Cooperation Department, issued a resolution that immediately prohibits the production, sale, storage and use of glue traps—sticky boards used to catch rats and other small animals—across the state. The ban is justified on animal‑cruelty grounds, noting that the devices cause severe injuries and often lead to death by starvation, dehydration or suffocation, and that they violate Section 11(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

The order also directs the removal of glue traps from the Government e‑Marketplace (GeM) and other e‑commerce platforms, and bars all government departments, boards, corporations and local bodies from purchasing or using them. Violations may attract penalties under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). District police and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) are empowered to register complaints and enforce the prohibition. Citizens are urged to adopt animal‑friendly alternatives such as cage traps for rodent control.