Pay for better Wasa water: Minister

Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam today said people will have to pay to receive better quality of Wasa water.

“We have to make people understand that if you don’t pay, you will not get better water”, he said at a programme in Chattogram this afternoon.

Not a single water supply authority under his ministry is self-dependent as they are running their production on subsidy or borrowing, he said.

He urged the WASA authority to be self-dependent and take initiative to reduce dependence on borrowing without specifying how it can be done.

The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a view exchange meeting at Chattogram Wasa office in the port city today.

He urged the authorities to organize symposium, seminar and workshop to make people aware about the importance of paying the price for water.

“Now Chattogram Wasa is producing 36 crore of litre water per day. The expenses come from borrowing the repayment of which will begin after 2022,” he said

“If there is no credit in the account of WASA, how will it repay its debt,” he said.

“Wasa is now running on loss so government cannot get the money from them,” he said, adding that Chattogram Wasa need to generate income.

AJM Nasir Uddin, city mayor of Chattogram City Corporation, Local Government Division (LGD) Secretary Md Helal Uddin and CWASA Managing Director AKM Fajlullah were present among others in the meeting.