Water tariff goes up by 25pc from April 1
The city-dwellers will have to pay 24.98 per cent higher price for water from April 1 although the water supplying agency failed to ensure safe water for them.
A circular of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority circular said that per unit, 1,000 litre, water price for domestic users would be increased to Tk 14.46 from Tk 11.57.
Commercial consumers will have to pay Tk 40.00 for a unit instead of the existing rate of Tk 37.04.
Dhaka WASA published the circular in some national dailies on Friday.
Dhaka WASA for the last time in September 2019 had increased water tariff to Tk 11.57 from Tk 11.02 for domestic users and Tk 37.04 from Tk 35.28 for commercial users.
Dhaka WASA managing director Taqsem A Khan said that the people were getting water at much low price for government subsidy and now the production cost for per 1,000 litre water stands at Tk 25.
He said that the agency had requested the government to review the price to reduce the gap between production cost and sales price.
City residents alleged that the quality of Dhaka WASA supplied water was very low and they could not use it without purifying.
In April, 2019, Transparency International Bangladesh in a study found that 93 per cent subscribers of Dhaka WASA had to refine water in different ways. The study estimated that about 91 per cent of households in Dhaka burn gas worth Tk 332 crore for boiling water.
They blamed lack of transparency and accountability of the agency for the poor condition although Dhaka WASA was committed to supply safe water for the city dwellers.
In July 2018, Dhaka WASA had increased water price per unit to Tk 11.02 from Tk 10.50 for domestic users. For commercial and industrial consumers water price was increased to Tk 35.28 from Tk 33.60.
In 2017, Dhaka WASA increased water price by five per cent.
Consumers described the price hike ‘illogical’ as the WASA failed to supply safe and enough water.
But Taqsem said that they supply safe water but it got contaminated in pipelines.
The problem would be solved soon, he said.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
