Jorhat, Feb. 14: A fire in the heart of this Upper Assam town has opened up a Pandora?s box regarding the illegal construction of high-rises and the inadequate equipment available with the state fire service to deal with it.

The fire, which started on the top floor of a five-storeyed building in the Old Balibat area at 9.45 pm yesterday, could not be brought under control till late this evening.

A fireman said the blaze could not be doused since there is no way to approach the top floor of the building. ?The way to the top floor is so narrow that it is almost impossible to reach there with the equipment at our disposal.? He added that the fire department did not have the latest gadgets required to handle such situations.

Over 50 fire tenders were rushed to the site. The damage is yet to be ascertained.

The construction of the five-storeyed building next to a mosque has always been dogged by controversy with the mosque committee at loggerheads with the owner of the highrise.

?It is surprising that the owner got permission to construct a five-storeyed building on such a small plot despite repeated protests from us. The tall building was constructed flouting all norms. It has become a threat in this densely-populated area,? said Nakib Borbora, secretary of the Old Balibat Masjid Committee.

The building stands on a nine-locha plot of land, in clear violation of construction rules.

The masjid committee today demanded that the two storeys of the illegally constructed building be demolished immediately. ?We have approached the district authorities in this regard but if nothing is done, we will be forced to move court,? Borbora warned.

The construction was made in gross violation of a joint agreement between the masjid committee and the owner of the building. Both parties agreed to the construction of only three storeys.

The committee alleged that the Jorhat Development Authority (JDA), the sole authority for granting permission for constructions in the town area, has turned a blind eye to the matter. ?Not only this building, the JDA has given permission to several such buildings in the town, flouting requisite norms,? said Afphadudding Ahmed, the vice-president of the committee.