Hang on

• Sir - Today is International Orangutan Day. There are three species of orangutans left in the world (all critically endangered) and their population is restricted to Sumatra and Borneo. Orangutans mostly live on treetops, making deforestation particularly devastating for them. The biggest threat to the red apes is the unchecked expansion of agro-industrial - especially palm oil - plantations. With Indonesia projecting a rise in palm oil production from 36.5m tonnes in 2017 to over 42m tonnes by 2020, the situation is dire. It is possible to produce palm oil without destroying rainforests, but only if big companies support this. Keeping these forests intact is vital for the orangutans.

Vineeta Sardar,
Calcutta

Dire state

• Sir - It is shocking to see the condition of the healthcare system in West Bengal. The article, "Coin in child's throat for 15 hours" (Aug 13), once again, highlighted the precarious condition of patients' families who have to run pillar to post just to get some relief for their ailing relatives. The family of the little boy was apparently turned away by many hospitals. Is it any wonder then that even the smallest medical emergency causes people to panic?

Ankita Bakshi,
Calcutta

• Sir - The news of a child with a coin stuck in his throat being refused treatment is reminiscent of another such news from sometime ago. A kid had swallowed a plastic pen cap and had to do the rounds of several hospitals before finally receiving treatment. There had been a huge public outcry after this incident. But like all other grave issues, this too died down. The latest incident shows that little improvement has been made since. Lack of infrastructure and skilled manpower, along with the tendency of hospitals to pass the buck, are to blame for this.

It should have been a routine procedure at any hospital to do an x-ray to determine the position of the ingested object and then refer the patient to the specialist concerned for its removal. Such lacunae in the healthcare system need to be filled.

Basudeb Dutta,
Nadia

• Sir - One cannot imagine the helplessness of parents who have to cart a sick child around from hospital to hospital in search of treatment. An inquiry should be conducted into why the parents of the child who swallowed a coin were not attended to by five hospitals.

Rinkumani Pathak,
Guwahati

Foul taste

• Sir - The article, "Fishy tale" (Aug 8), paints a dire picture. For a majority of Bengalis, it is unthinkable to go a day without eating a fish course. The price of pulses and vegetables being exorbitant, poor people cannot afford them. Certain varieties of fish like lotey and pangash are cheap sources of protein. The contamination of fish is thus worrying. Fruits and vegetables are not safe for consumption either given the rampant use of pesticides.

Stringent measures, such as banning the use of toxic chemicals to boost the growth of vegetables and fish, need to be taken in order to control the quality of food products. This must be followed by effective monitoring.

Sanjit Ghatak,
South 24 Parganas

Parting shot

• Sir - One of the pictures accompanying "Those timeless notes" (Aug 10), has an interesting history. Seated with S.D. Burman in the group picture are Ira Devi and her children. The picture was taken when Burman visited Shillong for the premiere of Aradhana.

Ira Devi was the daughter of the king of Jaintiapur, Chattra Singh, and Tillottama Devi, who, in turn, was the daughter of Nabadwip Chandra Deb Burman of the royal house of Tripura. Tillottama Devi was S.D. Burman's elder sister. This made Ira Devi S.D. Burman's niece. Ira Devi married Rajkowa Janmejoy Burman of the Kachari royal family, who became the deputy commissioner of Garo Hills in undivided Assam and settled in Bhagyakul with his family. The family still stays there and has a copy of the same photo that appeared in print in their house.

Konthoujam Prithviraj,
Laitumkhrah, Meghalaya