BY MANOJ ANAND GUWAHATI, July 18: The Assam government has urged the Union power ministry to include local scientists from the states while carrying out studies on the environmental impact of mega power-generating dam projects in the northeastern states. Speaking in the state Assembly on Friday, state power minister Pradyut Bordoloi said that there were genuine apprehensions in some districts about potential disasters posed by the large dams in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, especially in view of last month's events in Lakhimpur district. The district had suffered heavy loss of life and property last month following flash floods caused by the release of a huge volume of water from a dam on the Ranganadi river in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh. Replying to a question by AGP MLA Brindawan Goswami, the minister said, "We are going to ask the power ministry to re-investigate and examine the various environmental aspects of Arunachal Pradesh dams in downstream areas of Assam." He said that the issue was also raised in a meeting of the northeastern states' power ministers. "They also appreciated Assam's concern," he said. Mr Bordoloi informed the house that the Assam government had also decided to constitute its own expert panel to study various environmental aspects that the dams in Arunachal dams were likely to cause to the downstream districts in Assam. He said that the A government had signed MoUs with private companies for setting up more than 100 hydel power projects in the state. Many MLAs cutting across party lines expressed concern over the potential threat posed by such mega dams in neighbouring states.