NATIONAL dailies have highlighted how the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has increased water-tariff by 5 percent without any public hearing. The price hike is supposed to be effective from July 1. The whole situation is uncalled for as WASA is not even being able to provide fresh clean water to all Dhaka residents. The news item mentioned that the water-tariff has been increased to Tk 8.9 from Tk 7.71 for 1000 litres of water (1 unit) and instead of engaging in proper debate, the Managing Director of WASA said that apparently they saw no alternative but to raise the water-tariff in order to curb water wastage.
WASA’s MD also mentioned how it would be difficult to run the organisation by providing subsidies if the water-tariff was not increased. The sad reality is that many residents of the city still do not have access to safe and clean water and WASA’s sudden decision to increase the price of water was absolutely unnecessary as residents of some parts of the capital have been facing drinking water crisis for the last several years. Various complaints have been made against the quality of the water and about foul odours emanating from the water supplied by WASA. The report included that families living in parts of Mugda, Bashaboo, Kadamtola, Maniknagar, Mayakanon, Tilpapara, Manda and Mirpur have been suffering the most as many have to collect water from pumps located far away. The General Secretary of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) said that before the increase of the water bill WASA should improve its service.
The move to increase water-tariff is nothing but irresponsible as no citizen is actually being benefitted by it. Not only is the move going to raise the cost of living in an already problematic city (along with higher gas and electricity tariffs), it will also increase the plights of those residents who do not have access to clean and safe water. WASA has failed now and again to provide basic water services due to intricate internal complications as well as inherent corruption present in its many departments. That is no excuse to increase the sufferings of people in the guise of ‘preventing water wastage’. WASA should first focus on providing clean water to all the city’s inhabitants before it decides to impose an unjustified tariff increase which only adds to the woes of the city’s inhabitants.
This single-handed decision by WASA Managing Director amply proves that the bureaucrats hardly feel accountable to the political authority of the country. This is also an example of government’s failure to deliver public utilities to the citizens at an affordable cost. The increased water-tariff should be withdrawn but the reality is that plundering the helpless people has become the business of all public authorities.
The move to increase water-tariff is nothing but irresponsible as no citizen is actually being benefitted by it. Not only is the move going to raise the cost of living in an already problematic city (along with higher gas and electricity tariffs), it will also increase the plights of those residents who do not have access to clean and safe water. WASA has failed now and again to provide basic water services due to intricate internal complications as well as inherent corruption present in its many departments. That is no excuse to increase the sufferings of people in the guise of ‘preventing water wastage’. WASA should first focus on providing clean water to all the city’s inhabitants before it decides to impose an unjustified tariff increase which only adds to the woes of the city’s inhabitants.
This single-handed decision by WASA Managing Director amply proves that the bureaucrats hardly feel accountable to the political authority of the country. This is also an example of government’s failure to deliver public utilities to the citizens at an affordable cost. The increased water-tariff should be withdrawn but the reality is that plundering the helpless people has become the business of all public authorities.
