Dhaka WASA raises water tariff by 10pc from 1 July

The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has decided to raise the water tariff by 10 per cent from 1 July.

Once the revised price comes into effect, tariff for residential customers will go up from Tk 15.18 per 1,000 litter to Tk 16.70 per 1,000 and for commercial customers, it will be Tk 46.20 per 1,000 litter – a Tk 4.20 up from existing price of Tk 42 per 1,000 litters.

In a circular issued on Wednesday, the Dhaka WASA said the price of water has been raised under section 22 of the Dhaka WASA Act 1996 to adjust the inflation.

The revised price will also be effective for all kinds of municipal (water and sewerage) fees including bills for holdings without metre, deep tube-wells and under-construction buildings, it added.

With the latest price revision, the capital’s water tariff increased for the 16th time in 16 years since Awami League government came to power in 2009.

The Dhaka WASA raised the water tariff twice in two years during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lastly, water price increased in July 2021. The Dhaka WASA also wanted to hike water price in 2022, prompting the filing of a writ with the High Court to challenge the move.

At the time, the High Court ruled asking as to why the water tariff hike would not be declared illegal. Hiking water price remained suspended since then.