The life span of human beings granted as four score and twenty makes it to one hundred years. The fact that the rare instances of one among the population not only reaching that magical age and also crossing the bar is bestowed attention by one or the other daily, many times with some details bearing on the secrets of maintaining some youthful faculties, not including a macho physique, is testimony to people at large not focussed on taking care of their health on various counts. Even the often said words ‘Be blessed with a long life’ (dheerghaayushman bhava) that old-timers utter while blessing persons prostrating before them in reverence doesn’t seem to be actually heard, missing the important message therein namely, ‘Strictly adhere to the dos and don’ts of that living a long life.’ There is no paucity of information or knowledge relating to threats to one’s health by following wrong food consumption, living in clean environment, doing physical exercise and so on but the wisdom of healthy living seems to be missing, barring some exceptions.

To be born as a healthy baby, with virtually zero physical or mental handicap is a blessing, which is not granted to a considerable part in the land’s population. To grow in a family and live in an ambience supportive of a life free from life-threatening causes is also a bliss. The land’s ancient belief of being born as a human being after several, in fact hundreds of birth, may or may not induce one to hold the value of life at peak value.

Much ahead of seeking help of doctors to restore health lost to whatever reasons, it is prudent to keep track of times during which a deviation from the healthy routine occurred. Thanks to the humdrum of present-day lifestyle, hardly anybody is meticulous about safeguarding against losing health. The ideals of living without flouting the rules of the game, namely a) Be knowledgeable about the importance of consuming food free from disease-causing organisms, b) Be watchful in not yielding to temptations of eating indiscriminately, c) Abstain from habits causing harm to vital organs such as heart, lungs, liver, kidney and so on. Care and caution are the imperatives of present day goings on in the land, particularly surfeit of unscrupulous ways of earning money by traders in all consumer goods, not to forget adulteration of all food and counterfeiting all consumer goods with toxic alternatives.

The foregoing discussion leads us to the point of surviving in a world marked by pollution everywhere. A lawless population and governments deviating from good governance are ruling the roost. We, as a mass, disdainfully pollute air, water and soil but cannot care less about the simple diktats relating to living longer. Indians may live four years longer if air pollution is put an end to, says a recent research study.