Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWasa) has increased its water tariff by 5%, in effect since January this year.
The decision was taken during CWasa's 50th board meeting held on January 10.
Due to the tariff hike, domestic consumers will have to buy a unit (1000l) of water at Tk9.92.
On the other hand, the industrial and commercial tariff will be Tk27.56 for every unit of water.
Water tariff increases every year
In 2015, each unit of CWasa water for domestic consumers cost Tk7.25, while it was Tk20.53 for commercial consumers.
In 2016, the tariff was raised by 5%; for which the domestic and commercial consumers had to pay Tk7.61 and Tk21.56, respectively, for each unit consumed.
In 2017, the tariff was hiked a further 18% for which the domestic and commercial consumers had to pay Tk9 and Tk25 respectively.
In 2018, the tariff was raised again by 5%; domestic and commercial consumers paid Tk9.45 and Tk 26.25, respectively, for each unit consumed.
This time around, the tariff has again been raised by 5%.
CAB demands repealing revised tariff
The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has protested the water tariff hike.
The consumers’ rights body has also demanded the water supply be continuous, pilferage end, and public hearings be held prior to water tariff increases.
In conversation with the Dhaka Tribune, SM Nazer Hossain, CAB Central Committee vice president said: "It is customary to hold a public hearing before increasing tariffs for any utility service. However, CWasa has arbitrarily hiked the water tariff without holding any such hearing; which is unacceptable and against the interest of the consumers.
"Many areas of Chittagong are still suffering from an acute water crisis. Against this backdrop, the authority should resolve the acute crisis before increasing tariffs. It is not acceptable to hike the tariff under the pretext of rising production costs without repairing supply lines, stopping system loss, and ending pilferage," he added.
"CWasa should immediately repeal the decision to hike tariffs," Nazer said, adding that majority of CWasa customers are people from low and middle-income groups, and the hike in water tariffs would increase their cost of living.
CWasa Commercial Manager Dr Pijush Dutta said: "The production cost for a unit of water is Tk15 while CWasa charges Tk 9.92 from the domestic consumers. The tariff has been increased by 5% which is Tk5 less than the production cost."
There are a total of 71,130 consumers under CWasa. Of them, 64,019 (88%) are domestic consumers.
Currently, CWasa supplies around 92 million gallons of water to consumers against a demand of 132 million gallons every day.
