Ducks raise oxygen level in water bodies: Tripura CM

TRIPURA: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb recently came under the limelight for an outrageous statement made during an event in Tripura on August 27.

At an annual boat racing festival held in Tripura, CM Biplab Deb presented his theory about how ducks recycle oxygen and hence announced to donate 50,000 ducks in the Melaghar area.

Speaking at the event, CM Deb said, “Today I announced the distribution of over 50,000 ducks in the region. When 50,000 white ducks roam in the lake here it will look so beautiful and the oxygen will also get recycled.”

Rameshwar Das, the Principal Secretary of Tripura’s Fisheries Department, has backed Deb’s comments about raising oxygen levels in water bodies by releasing ducks, saying that bird is a natural aerator and its presence in water bodies provides multiple benefits.

“The practice of introducing something else with fish is known as Integrated Fish Farming. It is used in animal husbandry, agriculture, etc. There are several benefits of introducing ducks with fish. Firstly their droppings increase the fertility and help raise the level of plankton in the water, which the fish consume, hence helping them grow,” Das told ANI.

Das further explained how ducks act as natural aerators, “Fish require dissolved oxygen. The surface area of the water body is directly proportional to the dissolved oxygen, and to increase the surface area, there needs to be a disturbance on the surface, it cannot be still. So, when ducks swim on water, they act as natural aerators, and with ducks not there, we have to artificially aerate the waters,” he said.

According to media reports, the Chief Minister was criticised and mocked over his comments, with Tripura Pradesh Congress’ Tapas Dey saying that scientific evidence should be relied upon for policymaking.