Rat catchers: a development project from a small corner of the world

Objective:To remove the health hazards associated with ridding farms of rats and improve the rate of extermination, by introducing an improved prototype of a traditional rat catching device at an affordable price.

Rationale: There are about 15,000 members of the Irula tribe in southern India's Tamil Nadu state, and many of them earn a living by catching rats from farms. Rats destroy a quarter of the grain grown on area farms each year. To combat this pest, Irula men use a traditional earthen pot fumigation method. Smoke is blown through their mouths, which affects their lungs, and leads to severe respiratory and heart problems. Not only that, but this method is highly inefficient, as it catches only two-fifths of the total rat population. The project will upgrade the Irula's technology with a new device that blows smoke through a hand-operated blower. It is made of steel, so it will not break like a mud pot. Four models have been manufactured at an affordable price.

Innovation/ Effectiveness: This is the first project that aims to alleviate the occupational health hazards inherent in catching rats. All activities are locally-based in remote villages. Advanced technology will improve the health of rat catchers and will enable them to catch and kill 70 percent more vermin. In addition, the community's unemployed women will construct these devices as a collective self-employment venture.