Latest Biplab Deb gem: Ducks increase oxygen levels in water

Months after suggesting that civil engineers are best suited to enter the civil services, Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb has now taken up the cause of ducks. Addressing a gathering during a traditional boat race programme held at Rudrasagar Lake on Monday evening, Deb said the aquatic birds recycle water when they swim – raising the oxygen level in waterbodies. “This rise in oxygen, in turn, makes the fish population increase,” he claimed, promising to distribute 50,000 white ducklings among fishermen residing in the area. According to Deb, the benefits of duck-rearing do not end there. He said that children would greatly benefit from additional protein and vitamin supplements if every family in the area kept at least five ducks. “Rearing hens and ducks was part of our rural culture. This culture was destroyed over the last 25 years,” Deb asserted. Experts, however, were unimpressed by the chief minister's statements. “It may be possible to increase oxygen levels in water through machines, but claiming that ducks can enhance the fish population is unscientific,” said Jyoti Prakash Roy Choudhury, a retired zoology professor.