Gandhinagar (Gujarat), Aug 29: After Arundhati Roy's much-publicised anti-dam comments at the Cannes Film Festival, a Gujarat minister has defended the Sardar Sarovar project at another European forum, saying only the dam could provide water to millions of people. Narmada Development Minister Jaynarayan Vyas told an international workshop on “Regional Transfer of Water” at Kalmar, Sweden that Narmada waters could bring a permanent solution to the miseries of millions in Western India. Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd. Chairman Bhupendrasinh Chudasama also attended the meet, co-sponsored by the University of Kalmar, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Stockholm International Water Institute and Third World Centre for Water Management. The Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy, who was a member of the jury at Cannes this year, had sought international pressure against building the big dam, which she said would lead to socio-economic and environmental disaster. Hydrologists, UN office-bearers and educationists from more than 30 countries, including Denmark, Israel, Somalia, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, China and Australia, took part in the recently held workshop. During his speech, Vyas highlighted the regional socio-economic disparities within Gujarat and alarming trends of migration due to water scarcity. Answering the criticism of Narmada Bachao Andolan activists on alleged displacement of tribals, he said adequate housing, education and health services were being extended to them, in addition to sustainable income generating packages. A large number of tribal families have welcomed the development opportunities offered to them in the rehabilitation package of the Sardar Sarovar Project, he claimed. He also sought to allay the fears on environmental destruction, saying extensive environmental protection measures are being taken in catchment areas. —UNI