#WATCH 'Aaj maine ghoshna ki hai 50,000 desi hans (ducks) aas pass ke logon ko de diye https://t.co/JnlsyO3SZd jala… https://t.co/JkwVtFwYfD — ANI (@ANI) 1535468740000 AGARTALA: Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb , whose gaffes earlier drew a lot of flak, is in news again for saying that ducks raise the oxygen level in water bodies when they swim — an observation that some agricultural scientists agree with.“When ducks swim, they recycle water automatically and fish get more oxygen. Fish also benefit from duck droppings. This will help pisciculture and fish grow faster, that too in a completely organic way,” Deb said while inaugurating a boat race at Rudrasagar, an artificial lake around Neermahal, a water palace, in West Tripura district on Monday.A video clip is being circulated on the social media that shows Deb talking about the state government’s plan to distribute 50,000 white ducklings to fishermen of Neermahal, which will enhance the beauty of the place. Talking further on the issue, he says that duck-rearing will boost the rural economy, increase the level of dissolved oxygen in the water and also recycle water.The chief minister was unavailable for comments as he, along with deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma, left for New Delhi on Monday night to attend a meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of BJP-ruled states on Tuesday.Defending Deb, BJP spokesperson Victor Som, who is an agri-science graduate, said, “The chief minister is not a scientist. Whatever he wanted to communicate was clear from his statement. For a common man, purification of water means an increase of oxygen level in the water bodies. But the way the social media portrayed his statement is completely misleading.”He added that the chief minister only stressed on integrated farming for boosting the rural economy. The CM had said the beauty of Neermahal will be enhanced further if ducks swim across the waterbody. He said swimming ducks will help clean algal blooming resulting in water purification.Referring to a Food & Agricultural Organisation report, a BJP state committee member on Tuesday said, “Ducks aerate water while swimming. That is why they are called biological aerators. So, the intention of CM is not wrong.” Backing this claim, a professor of zoology at a Calcutta-based college said, “The paddling movement of ducks can help a nominal amount of atmospheric oxygen get dissolved in water.” He added that movement inside the water could also help better dispersal of dissolved oxygen.Since Deb took charge as the chief minister, he made several controversial statements drawing flak for him and his party. From claiming that ancient Indians had access to the internet and artificial satellites in the age of the Mahabharata to saying that former Miss World Diana Hayden was unworthy of being a beauty pageant winner, Deb had faced widespread criticism for his remarks. He was also at the receiving end for saying that civil engineers were best suited for the civil services.

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