Water tariff to increase again in Dhaka
Amid the spiraling of essential commodities, the Dhaka WASA has decided to hike water prices by five per cent for residential and commercial uses.
The increased tariff would be implemented from 1 September, according to the decision of Dhaka WASA’s board meeting.
With this, the prices of water will be raised for at least the 15th times in the last 14 years.
According to the sources at WASA, the prices of each unit (1,000 litres) of water were raised by 31 per cent for residential use and 13 per cent for commercial use in two phases in April 2020 and September 2021.
The price of each unit of water is Tk 15.18 for residential use and Tk 42 for commercial use now. Five per cent tariff would be added with these prices from September.
Dhaka WASA board member and Bangladesh Federal Journalist Union’s secretary general Deep Azad told Prothom Alo that the decision to increase the tariff was taken unanimously in line with the inflation.
Dhaka WASA sources said the managing director, Taqsem A Khan, wanted a 20 per cent increase in tariff citing a hike in production and operation cost. The board discussed the matter and fixed the hike at five per cent.
Taqsem took the charge of Dhaka WASA in 2009. The prices of per unit water were Tk 6.4 for residential use and Tk 20.11 for commercial use at that time.
Taqsem could not be contacted for a comment about the price hike.