The price of drinking water supplied through Water ATM booths in the capital has been tripled within the last two years, raising concerns among city residents already struggling with the cost of living.
The new, increased price came into effect today. In an office order signed by Dhaka WASA Secretary SM Jahangir Hossain, the authority announced that the price of Water ATM water has been raised from Tk0.80 to Tk1 per litre, inclusive of VAT and taxes.
The order said the decision was taken at the 14th meeting of Dhaka WASA’s Performance Support Committee, held on 28 January. WASA explained that the price hike was mainly due to increased operation and maintenance costs of the booths.
Users were also informed through SMS notifications, stating that due to global price hikes and a Dhaka WASA decision, the price of Water ATM water has been fixed at Tk1 per litre, including VAT.
Earlier, on 1 August 2023, Dhaka WASA had increased the Water ATM price from Tk0.40 to Tk0.80 per litre.
Sahina, a resident of Jatrabari area, expressed frustration over the move. “Why should the government increase the price even for drinking water? Thousands of crores of taka are spent in different sectors with subsidies. At least safe drinking water should be subsidised by the government or WASA,” she said.
She said her nine-member family needs around 17 litres of drinking water daily, which costs nearly Tk600 per month. “On top of that, we have to pay the regular WASA water bill at home. Instead of putting pressure on consumers, WASA could at least provide drinking water free of cost,” she added.
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