Dhaka WASA authorities have decided to raise the water tariff by 10 percent from 1 July.
According to the decision, they have set Tk 16.70 per 1,000 litres from Tk 15.18 per 1,000 litres for residential customers and for commercial customers; it will be Tk 46.20 per 1,000 litres from the existing price of Tk 42 per 1,000 litres. Questions have been raised over the logic behind the water price hike.
As per the circular, the revised price will also be effective for all kinds of municipal water and sewerage bills, including holdings without metre, deep tube-wells and under-construction buildings.
To justify, Dhaka WASA has cited section 22 of the Dhaka WASA Act 1996 in increasing the price.
As per the law, Dhaka WASA can raise water tariff by 5 percent annually. But if the hike is over 5 percent, permission has to be taken from the local government ministry.
They have taken permission from the ministry. But they have not taken permission from the board of directors, which they are supposed to do, say a Dhaka WASA Board member, adding, “Even there has not been any discussion in the board to raise water price.”
In raising tariff, Dhaka WASA cited logic that the tariff has not been increased after 2021.
They initiated a move to raise tariff in 2022 but could not implement due to filing a writ at the High Court.
According to the writ, WASA didn’t follow the rule in raising tariffs. This time they have raised the price bypassing the board.
According to media reports, after the Awami League government took power in 2009, Dhaka WASA increased tariff by 16 times.
But are they able to supply water as per the demand of the consumers? Is the water they are supplying safe? The answer is no.
Dhaka WASA is showing excuse of foreign loans and loss for raising water tariff. The amount of loans of WASA at different projects is Tk 190 billion.
The money WASA will collect from the customers by raising water tariff, more than the amount is being wasted in the name of system loss.
Even though Dhaka WASA raises water tariff in phases, they are unable to supply safe water. Around 100 percent of consumers have to boil water for drinking.
This organization has no right to punish the people by raising tariffs instead of supplying safe water.