Water prices are rising, discontent customers
In this, customers are angry about that there is still water crisis and water badness in many areas. WASA can not raise the price of the water without solving all that.
Currently, residential customers will have to pay a bill of Tk 10 to 50 for every one thousand liters of water. Commercial customers have to pay Tk. 33 for 60 liters of water.
If the new prices come into effect, then the household will have to pay Tk 1000 per 1000 liters of water per month. The commercial customers will be billed at Tk 35 and 28 paisa.
During the assumption of Awami League in 2009, every thousand liters of water bill was 5 rupees 75 paisa. Then, in these years, the price has increased almost doubling in a few phases. Once every year, water prices were supposed to be increased, but it was not always accepted.
Tasheem A. Khan, managing director of Dhaka WAS, says that the increase in bills in July is not a price increase, price adjustment. It is every year.
"Every year on July one year our water price is adjusted. This is done at 5 percent of the current bill. Every year we adjust with the inflation rate. "
According to the law, coordination with inflation has been suggested to adjust the water price of the WASA Board to 5 percent.
According to WASA, daily water production in Dhaka is 245 million liters, where demand is between 230 to 235 million liters. Commercial customers of Dhaka WASA total customers are about 7 percent.
Shahriar Amin, the resident of Shahjahanpur, expressed his anguish over the rising prices of water and said that the water that came in the supply of WASA smells bad. That is why he has objections to paying extra bills.
"Sometimes there is so much odor in the water of this area. Shawla smell during the rainy season Is the government giving its services the right to increase the price of everything? Eat guts to pay gas, and now the water If all were to get the services properly then there was no objection to the bill. "
Mamun O Rashid, a resident of Shani Akhara, said, "Waste water is a bad day's bad day. In the past few days the situation of the water is very bad. WASA water can not be used for any purpose. Last year it was at least one month. Do not raise the quality of the service, but raise money. How's that? "
After gas-power, the increase in the price of the water is causing new pain, the landlord said. To Shamser Ali.
The resident of Old Dhaka's Sutrapur told bdnews24.com, "There are so many money in the water bill. Now again grew. I have to pay this extra money to me. Because the rent in the old Dhaka can not be extended year after year. The cost increased again! "
WASA officials say that the increase in the cost of electricity will increase the cost of electricity.
Dhaka WASA Deputy Managing Director (Finance) Uttam Kumar Roy said that the price rise of electricity has been affecting more.
"We have to rely on electricity to operate our pumps. A large part of our expenditure goes on electricity costs. The price of electricity has increased a lot in recent times. Accordingly, we could not raise the price of water. "
In November last year, the price of electricity at the customer level was increased by 5.3 percent. In March, the price of gas in different sectors was increased to 50 percent in March.
In addition to electricity, the prices of all the generators, pumps used in the treatment plant, including chlorine and other chemicals and maintenance equipment have increased, said Uttam Kumar.
"There is no way to adjust the price."
WASA officials said they cost around Tk 17 a day for producing one thousand liters of water. There are subsidies of around 6:30 rupees.
Before the decision to increase the price, WASA customers had to take the opinion that the people of Kuril Biswarod area Mir Md. Mokbub Hossain.
He told bdnews24.com, "I am a WASA Consumer. But I can not know why water prices rise. Home bill is actually understood to increase the price of water.
"I did not know the water bill is rising. Earlier, I wanted to know why I was paying more money to WASA people. She tells me that every year the bill increases. How do they increase the bill without telling me? "