Health is Wealth :- 2019

          There is nothing in our life that is more valuable than good health. Without health there is no happiness. no peace and no success. A person with ill health cannot enjoy the pleasure of being wealthy. This proverb causes us to reflect on whether money or good health are more valuable. Health is as valuable as wealth, if not more. We value our health. We can work harder and be more productive when we are healthy. If we are not healthy, we cannot enjoy our material wealth. A healthy sportsman can move towards a gold medal in the Olympic. A healthy businessman sees his business flourish. A healthy student has a sway over his friends and tops in the skill he likes. Man is a rational animal. In fact, man has been able to control nature due to his highly developed brain. It is all true. But for the development of the intellect. It is necessary that the body too, should be healthy. A SOUND MIND IN A SOUND BODY IS AN OFT QUOTED SAYING. The mind can never be healthy if the body is sick. 

       The Government has been spending lakhs of rupees for providing medical facilities. It is busy in fighting various diseases to make society free from diseases. But medical facilities can never solve the problem. So our people need physical exercise to develop their vitality and vigor, and to live disease-free life. It is the only way to maintain health, mental, emotional and physical development of the people. If our health is good we can do anything in our life. We can achieve success. So be healthy and always keep  in mind our true values should relate to human-well-being and not just to the accumulation of wealth. So it is rightly said ' Health is Wealth'.

         What is the use of having millions in the bank if we cannot enjoy good health ? A healthy man can enjoy the benefits of his wealth. But a wealthy man, if he is not healthy, will always be affricated with physical complaints. In fact, if you are ever asked to choose between the two, always opt for good health, Health can give wealth, but wealth does not ensure good health. Very often the desperate search for wealth takes its toll on one's health. It deprives a man of the necessary physical exercise. It makes the person follow unhealthy food habits in the name of saving time, It thus brings along with it stress, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, ulcers and diabetes. As a result a person may have to spend the later part of his life in and put of hospitals and undergo expensive operations in order to keep alive. The end result can only be a stressful and premature death. Finally all the wealth is distributed amongst the heirs. Hence, to enjoy our wealth while you live, you must believe in the dictum, ' Health is Wealth'.

       The man is responsible for the effect of his actions. If the action is based on goodness, it will churn out only goodness in the long run. If the action has been evil, the outcome also tends to be evil. Goodness in the Child of good deeds and misfortune and calamities are the children of evil. According to the natural laws every action has equal and opposite reaction. If we plant a sapling of rose we shall have roses. But if we plant cactus we shall have the thorny cactus. It is equally true in the life of an individual or a nation.

        We will be rewarded or punished according to the good or bad deeds that we do. Sowing and reaping , are part and parcel of the law of nature. If we sow good seeds in our lives, we will get good results. However, the reverse will happen if we decide to take the wrong way. To study or work honestly and diligently is one way to sow good seeds in order to get good results. We are the only one in this world ; responsible for the effects of our action. Our present work always makes or helps us to make our future.

         If a student studies hard in his early life, he builds a good career for himself in his youth. Those who neglect studies are not able to make good career. It is universal truth that we get from life what we sow in it. Actually life is like a big field and all of us are farmers in it. our future is the direct outcome of what and how we sow the seeds of character, right attitude, perseverance, utilization of time and opportunities given to us, and finally how industrious and sincere we had been in carrying out our responsibilities. This famous maxim proves the same in our life. As you Sow, so shall you Reap.

           Pollution is the damage caused to the environment by harmful substances or waste Pollution is our enemy number one today. Modern civilization and material progress have resulted in pollution everywhere - in the atmosphere, on land, in the seas and in the rivers. Our air is polluted by smoke, gases and chemicals emitted by vehicles and factories This pollution poisons the air and harms the ozone layer of the earth that protects us from the radiation of the sun. If the ozone layer is destroyed , mankind will perish, Nuclear radiation also pollutes the air causing terrible health hazards. Besides this, there is noise pollution in big cities caused by vehicles, machines, loudspeakers and crackers. Tonnes of industrial and chemical waste are thoughtlessly dumped into our rivers, lakes and seas and they kill fish and other marine life. Unplanned growth of cities brings about more and more slums, where dirt, disease and death breed. We must take immediate and effective steps to fight pollution. Otherwise our earth will turn into a wasteland. Pollution : Earth's enemy number one.

          A green city is a clean city. This is because nature has its own way of keeping the environment clean. A green city implies plenty of trees and greenery. This keeps the environment clean and fresh. Also the leaves take in excess carbon dioxide from the surrounding, emitted by heavy traffic, and give out refreshing oxygen. Besides trees on the sidewalks, a city should have a good number of parks and gardens. This brings pollution levels down to a minimum. It also reduces the risk of people suffering from respiratory diseases. Man is a part of nature, not apart from nature, If there is a variety of vegetation  in the locality, several animals and birds, that brighten up the atmosphere, will be found. Thus man's sate o mind is also brightened Stress levels are reduced. Indeed there is no doubt that the more greenery there is in the local habitat, the better the conditions of living are for the inhabitants there. Green city : Clean city.

          Our forests are important sources of natural wealth, covering one-fifth of country's land area. They supply the timber for the railways, buildings and furniture making. They also supply the fuel for cooking and the bamboo for paper-making Medicinal herbs also come from the forests. In the olden days, our Wiseman and philosophers had their ashram in the forest. These ashrams were centers of knowledge and learning. Those sages had done an excellent job of maintaining our forests. So we had wonderful forests.

        Unfortunately, forests were ruthlessly cut down in the past few years. While the forests are disappearing. the demand for timber is growing. We must, therefore, protect and develop our forests. Vanamahotsav is an important step in this direction. It is observed for a weak in July every year. During this week, lakhs of saplings are planted throughout the country. This is being done to restore our fast disappearing forests. 

        Still deforestation poses a serious threat to forests on the earth. Deforestation causes soil erosion, sudden floods and global warming. The source of our natural wealth is forest which covers country's one-fifth of land. They supply timber for railways, buildings and furniture making and also are used as fuel, paper making and medicine. The sages in ancient days maintained the forests. But now people cut down the tress for various reasons. So 'Vanamahotsav' is arranged for week in the month of July to make aware the people the importance of forests and to protect them. Deforestation causes soil erosion, sudden floods and global warming. SO WE MUST PROTECT OUR FORESTS.

       To stop the ruthless cutting trees in the Himalayas, a unique movement - Chipko was started. The word Chipko means to 'hug' or to 'embrace' in Hindi. The movement derived its name from the dramatic circumstances in which it was born. In March 1973, when treefalls arrived in Mandal village of Uttar Pradesh to the tree-felling and clung to the tress literally embracing them to save them from the axes. The non-violent protest worked and the trees were saved From that day Chipko has become an important word in the dictionary of environmentalists the world over.

       The movement got a big push when Sunderlal Bahuguna, an environmental activist of Tehri actively supported it. He and his volunteers travelled on foot from village to village to educate and involved the local people on the urgent need of forest conservation. "Our blue-print is not only for the saving of the trees but for the survival of mankind, " said Bahuguna.  Similar to the Chipko movement is the Appico (meaning 'to hug' in Kannada) movement started in Karnataka. The movements motivated many other activists to fight against tree-felling. When the people in the Himalayas realized the tress are cut down unnecessarily they hugged the trees and risked their lives to save them The incident in Mandal village in Uttar Pradesh was an eye-opener for all of us. The women stopped the treefalls by hugging the trees. It was a good initiative taken by the women to save trees and protect forest risking their own lives. Sunderlal Baguhuna an environmental activist of Tehri supported the movement. Along with his activists he travelled from village to village to counsel the villagers about the importance of forest and bad effects of tree felling on environment. Thus the movement spread all over and even it reached Karnataka. It motivated many volunteers to stand against the trees fellers.

       Wetlands are constantly in the news, mostly because they are being degraded, occupied or destroyed. Why are they important ? Let find out what wetlands are. According to standard definition, "Wetlands occur where water meets land. They include mangroves, peatlands and marshes, rivers and lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded forest, rice-fields, and even coral reefs. Wetlands exist in every country and in every climatic zone, from the polar regions to the tropics, from high altitudes to dry regions."

          Wetlands do a lot of good work for us. They are needed to keep the environment, economy, society and culture healthy. They reduce damage storms and flooding maintain good water quality in rivers, recharge groundwater, store carbon, help stabilize climatic conditions and control pests. They protect our shores from wave action, provide habitat for animals and plants. They support plants and animals that are found nowhere else.

         Wetlands are important for agriculture, fisheries and forestry. Many coastal and inland wetlands are popular for tourism and recreational activities such as swimming boating, fishing. camping and bird watching, Wetlands have been homes for tribal from whose rich culture we can learn many lessons. They educate us on history, science and geography.

            Importance of wetlands :- Wetlands are very useful to mankind. In spite of their importance, they are neglected and destroyed, nowadays. Wetlands are found everywhere in the world. They help us to keep our environment, economy, society and culture healthy. They protect our shores, from storms and floods, maintain quality in rivers, keep the climate conditions stable and control pests. They are also important for agriculture, fisheries, forestry and recreational activities. They are the homes for trial's, animals and birds. We should preserve them.

         Common sense use of paper, if practiced by a majority of people, will save immense forest from needless cutting. Use paper carefully. If, in writing, you use bot sides of the paper, you reduce waste by 50 per cent. old envelopes, old bills, etc. make good memo paper. Do not discard a  memo sheet until it is full. Don't burn discarded paper. Better to have it converted to pulp and composting it. Be thoughtful about paper. Be conscious of how much you throw away that could be out to other uses. You can save eight to ten tress per year if you see that all reusable paper is returned for recycling. Stack newspaper in bundles and save them for return to the paper and pulp industries. Look for those products which contain the most reused paper. Some products feature completely recycled paper. Encourage recycling by buying such products. A ton of paper saved or recycled saves seventeen tress - your family uses that much or more each year.

         The campaign has given all citizens an opportunity to nurture a tree to life. We encourage individuals.  Adopt a tree today because nurturing a tree is like nurturing a friend for life.

         Science and modern inventions : A blessing or a curse ? Science has invented marvelous machines to take the drudgery out of man's work. By doing much of his work and doing it fast, machines have provided man with a lot of leisure. Distance has been conquered. Modern means of transport and communication have made the world a global village. Internet has brought people of the world together and brought about a revolution in the fields of information and communication. Man has already landed on the moon and man-made satellites have made voyages through space. In the fields of healthcare, education and entertainment, science has made immense strides. Though we welcome these blessings of science, we have to consider the other side of the picture also, Factories have polluted the water and the atmosphere. They have caused noise pollution. Industrialization has led to slums. Medical inventions have, by reducing infant mortality and increasing longevity, led to the population explosion and the consequent miseries. Again. Science has put in our hands terrible weapons such as nuclear bombs, guided missiles and the means of chemical and biological warfare. We are in danger of destroying ourselves with these monstrous means. Rightly used, science can bring heaven on earth. Wrongly used, it can turn this earth into hell.

         Today in the modern age the importance of  sports and games is much more than it was in the past. The impact of machine growing comforts of life, sports and games provide us the opportunities of physical exercise along with enjoyment. It is obvious that healthy individuals make a healthy nation and nobody can deny that, "Health is wealth."

           Every school and college has its sports day when annual competition in the games and sports are held. There are cricket clubs, hockey associations, swimming clubs, boating clubs, football clubs and athletic forces of the country sport and games hold an unrivalled place. Also, the general population displays a keen interest in sports and games. 

      The sports are popular among all classes of people ; the reason is that sports influence a man physically and mentally as well as morally. In all kind of sports. the muscles of the body are engaged and so the body is developed. Different organs of the body are given exercise and as a result, eyes become sharper, hearing is made keener and so on. It is quite obvious how sports influence the body but sports do much more. As Hippocrates said, "Sport is a preserver of health."

     Sports - Key to our Health: Games play a very important role in 21st Century compared to the olden days. Games are the key components of physical and mental health. The importance of the day starts from schools and colleges through sports days and annual sports competition, Besides sportspersons, even commoners have a deep interest in sport and games. Sports develop an individual physically, mentally as well s morally. Each and ever organ of our body gets an exercise if an individual plays any type of game. For example, when we concentrate on a game, our eyes become keener and it influences our body. Thus sports are preserver of our health in real sense.