Amidst soaring inflation and the hardships faced by the general public in purchasing daily essentials, the Dhaka WASA has decided to double the price of each litre of drinking water provided through the Drinkwell service support.
The new prices, which came into effect on Tuesday, have increased from Tk 0.40 in July to Tk 0.80, resulting in residents needing to recharge Tk 100 to receive 125 litres of water, whereas they could previously obtain 250 litres for the same amount.
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Dhaka WASA) justified the price hike, attributing it to the overall rise in service charges, including increased costs for chemicals and electricity, as well as a reduction in subsidies.
According to Engineer AKM Shahid Uddin, deputy managing director (operation and maintenance) of Dhaka WASA, they were compelled to increase the prices due to mounting operational expenses. He stated that they had contemplated raising the prices earlier and that the recent 100 per cent increase caught the attention of the public.
He also mentioned that there might be further gradual price adjustments in the future to alleviate the subsidy burden.
Shahid emphasised that the water supplied by Dhaka WASA is of high quality, sourced from deep tube wells and treated with chemicals to ensure complete purification, leaving no health hazards.
Currently, Dhaka WASA operates 290 ATM booths across the capital, providing pure water services. To cater to more city dwellers, they plan to set up an additional 500 ATM booths soon, as the water demand is consistently increasing.
Around 3 lakh families currently benefit from ATM booths, particularly in densely populated areas like hospitals and parks. Dhaka WASA is working in collaboration with Drinkwell, a USA-based organisation, to implement this water supply project.
Drinkwell primarily started the water service in 2017 to provide safe water to the city people at a low cost. Over 15 lakh card holders have already taken their services, according to Drinkwell.
Demand for separate cards for businessmen
Meanwhile, residents in Dhaka are requesting the authorities to issue separate cards for businessmen who use water for commercial purposes.
Currently, both household users and commercial entities use the same card to access water from the booths, leading to long queues and inconvenience for residential users.
Mahfuza Ferdous, a resident of the Rampura area, voiced her concern about commercial users buying water at a reasonable price from the booths and selling it at a higher price to restaurants, shops and families. She suggested that a separate card with higher costs should be provided to commercial entities to alleviate the burden on families and ensure smoother access to water for residential needs.
The price increase has added to the challenges faced by families, like Mahfuza's, who now need to recharge their cards with double the amount they previously did.
This price hike, while a necessity according to Dhaka WASA, has raised concerns among families who rely on the affordable water supply from the booths.
On the positive side, residents appreciate the convenience of the ATM booths, which provide clean and safe drinking water, eliminating the need for boiling water and consuming gas. However, they call for an increase in the number of booths to cater to more people and reduce waiting times.
Dr Md Mizanur Rahman, deputy managing director (research, planning and development) of Dhaka WASA, reassured the public that the water provided through the booths undergoes thorough testing and is of superior quality compared to bottled water available in the country.
He also emphasised the importance of water conservation and suggested that a price increase could discourage wasteful usage, making it a logical step.
As the demand for water rises and resources become scarcer, finding a balanced solution that meets both residential and commercial needs while ensuring sustainability has become crucial.
Consumer Association of Bangladesh President Ghulam Rahman condemned the move as it considers business interests instead of providing humanitarian services.
“We expected humanitarian services from WASA but they don’t care about public opinion. While making any policy, government agencies and bureaucrats do whatever they like and ignore public opinion,” he said, adding that the move will bring suffering to the people.
Urban planner Adil Muhammed Khan said the initiative of providing pure water among city dwellers is good but the 100 per cent price hike was wrong as the country is suffering from high inflation.
“They could have increased the price by 20-30 per cent considering the inflation. They have to step back from the perspective of doing business, and serve people from humanitarian grounds,” he added.
