Local Government, Rural Development & Co-operatives Minister Tajul Islam has instructed WASA to increase the price of water in elite areas and provide water to the lower class people or slum dwellers at affordable prices.
Not only water, but also holding tax, gas and electricity and other utility services should be priced on a zonal basis, he said.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on ‘Joint Research Project on Covid-19 by Dhaka WASA and ICDDRB held at Dhaka WASA Hallroom in the capital on Monday.
The minister said that no institution can run on subsidy. With the revenue from the poor people, the rich have no chance to get water at low prices. Increasing or decreasing the price of water is a matter for WASA authorities. The support given at 15 Tk by producing water at 25 Tk is not worthy. Water can be given to the lower class people with subsidy. But those who live in aristocratic or aristocratic areas do not have the opportunity to give. ‘Equitable development’ needs to be established.
He said WASA produces safe water. When that water is supplied through the pipeline, many people unethically take the connection through the pipe. But if the holes are not properly connected or harmful germs enter the water through the water reserve tank or overhead tank in the house. Which later spread everywhere.
In addition to laying new pipelines, those who are illegally connecting or taking connections from the pipeline will be punished, the minister added.
In this context, he said, the old pipelines for water supply in Dhaka city are being replaced with new ones so that it is possible to supply sterile water. The government has taken various initiatives at different times to save people from various water borne diseases and is vigilant in this regard.
The chief guest said that years go by in feasibility study, land acquisition or loan negotiation while taking up the project which is not acceptable. Not all loans can be taken. The project will have to take a loan for the country or will contribute to the GDP. He further said that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not make the country independent by begging from foreigners.
Noting that Dhaka is producing more water than the demand, the minister said that although pipelines have been laid to supply water to 5,000 households, the population in the area has increased several times over time. As a result, people are not getting proper water. Because the number of users is much more than the supply of water.
