Ranchi, Dec. 6: Governor Ved Marwah in his last public appearance urged the people of the state to look for ways to restore Ranchi?s lost status as the summer resort of eastern India.

Marwah was addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Jharkhand Environment Summit jointly organised by the Yugantar Bharti and the Damodar Bachao Andolan. ?This is my last public function as the Governor. I have been overwhelmed by what Ranchi has given back to me. But at the same I feel very sorry that the city has lost its status of a summer resort,? said Marwah.

Marwah completed his term as Jharkhand Governor on December 2. Governor designate Syed Sibte Rizwi will be sworn in on December 10.

In the days when Bihar was undivided, people from Calcutta used to visit Jharkhand capital during summer, as the city provided visitors the perfect getaway from the scorching heat, he said.

?Now the harsh reality is that summer here no longer provides relief,? he added.

?The reason behind this shift in the climatic conditions is the ruthless denudation of green cover, which made the city unique once,? he said.

While the general belief is that passing one stringent law after another for the protection of environment will solve all problems, Marwah said, what is needed is a a socio-political movement for generating consciousness among the people.

?Instead of protective laws that matter on paper alone, we need a mass movement to make people understand the importance of saving the forest cover for our own survival. Only then can the laws be translated into reality,? he added.

Later at a farewell function at Raj Bhavan, Marwah said his remarks against the state government on various occasions should not be misconstrued.

?I have a habit of speaking the truth. I can?t check myself, if I find something going wrong. This does not mean that I tried to belittle anyone. I had no personal agenda against anyone.?

Damodar Bachao Andalon convener Saryu Rai remarked that it was ironical Damodar, once called the sorrow of Bengal, because of the frequent floods is now a tame river with five dams and many reservoirs. Instead, it has become the sorrow of Jharkhand and Bengal, because of its polluted waters, he added. ?The only way to save the Damodar valley is by forcing polluting industries to make massive investments in the clean-up technologies. But industrialists exploiting the resources are not willing to make the change,? he said.