Water Tariff: Dhaka Wasa hikes it again by 5 percent

Amid allegations of poor quality of tap water in the mega city, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority has once again increased the price of water by 5 percent for residential and commercial uses.

At a virtual meeting on Monday, the Dhaka Wasa board approved the price hike proposal. It's Managing Director Taqsem A Khan, who is now in the USA on a three-month leave, joined the meeting.

In March, he proposed the 5 percent price hike of water tariff, which was supposed to be effective from July 1. But the proposal was rejected by the board at that time due to criticism from different corners.

However, the price hike was kept effective for the same date.

Taqsem is now monitoring different policies and has taken a vital role to increase water price, Wasa sources said.

Contacted, Golam Mostafa, chairman of the Wasa board, said it increases the price of water by 5 percent every year in coordination with inflation.

He said they are not increasing the price, rather they are "adjusting" it with the yearly inflation. "This increase in price helps Wasa maintain its capability of supplying water to residents of the city."

"Considering the Covid-19 pandemic, the price hike was not approved as people were panicking due to the rise in infections in March and the price hike may have created additional panic.

"It has now been increased as the fear of Covid-19 infections has come down and the lockdown has eased."

Criticising the hike, Ghulam Rahman, president of Consumer Association of Bangladesh, said, Wasa increased its price despite the fact that its services and the quality of it water provides are not good.

He said many city area do not get good services from Wasa.

"It has the right to increase 5 percent following its laws, but it have no moral right to increase it as its service quality is poor and it is a corrupt organisation," Rahman said.

Starting from meter-readers to its top officials, there has been many allegations of corruption against Wasa. The ministry concerned should ensure the investigations behind these allegations, he said.

If Wasa is handed over to the city corporations then drainage systems and water supplies will improve and the burden of water tariff, which increases every year, will can also be reduced. The government should consider it.

He also said the planning minister recently said the per capita income of Bangladesh has increased by 167 dollars. But according to government statistics, 30 percent of people are now below the poverty line, which was 20 percent earlier. However, research organisations said more than 40 percent of the people are not facing poverty and 50 percent are facing income loss.

This only indicates that the price hike is against the interest of consumer rights, he said, adding that additional price of water will add to the burden on the poor and low-income people.

According to him, the authorities should provide water free of cost to the poor.

Many Dhaka dwellers are having to deal with dirty water. They are still facing an acute shortage of drinking water and being deprived of access to the sewerage networks.

Earlier on April 23, 2019, some residents of Jurain staged a demonstration in front of the Wasa's Karwan Bazar headquarters, demanding the supply of clean water.