Letters to the Editor
Water price hike would be salt into the wound
Monday, 29 January 2024
It is seriously worrying to know that Dhaka WASA is planning to increase the price of water. According to newspaper reports, a technical survey conducted by Dhaka WASA has proposed increasing the price of water by 24 to 147 per cent compared to the current rate. If this proposal is implemented, the cost of water will rise for all categories of customers, from the lower middle class to the upper class.
Currently, residential customers in Dhaka WASA pay Tk15.18 for 1000 litres of water, regardless of their financial status. Commercial customers, on the other hand, are charged Tk 42 per thousand litres of water.
According to Dhaka WASA's proposal, there will be five categories of customers - upper class, upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class, and lower class--- each with their own pricing tier. Upper class individuals are those living in houses larger than 2,500 square feet, while upper middle class individuals reside in houses ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 square feet. Middle class individuals live in houses between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet, and lower middle class individuals live in houses below 1,000 square feet.
Neither the classification of consumers nor the aim to charge customers in line with their income is in question. It is rather praiseworthy. However, before implementing the price hike, Dhaka WASA needs to ensure a reliable supply of fresh water. The water currently supplied by the state-run agency to residents of Dhaka is not potable and requires boiling. Additionally, there have been numerous complaints of dirt and foul odours in the water in many areas.
Since the new government took over, prices of several essential commodities, including rice, have risen, while people's incomes have remained stagnant. In this situation, increasing the price of water will disproportionately affect the poor. Moreover, proposals to raise gas and electricity prices will likely lead to a new wave of inflation, plunging low and middle-income people into deeper financial crises.
Nahida Nishi
A conscious citizen
Dhaka