People from all walks of life on Saturday formed a human chain in the Rajshahi city, reiterating their call to ensure safe and drinkable water in the city at fair prices.
Over two hundred of them under the banner of Rajshahi Raksha Sangram Parishad formed the human chain in the Saheb Bazar Zero Point area at 10:00am to press home their demand.
Addressing the human chain, the speakers said that water supplied by the Rajshahi Water Supply and Sewerage Authority was dirty and foul-smelling.
鈥楶eople are getting infected with various diseases after drinking the supplied water. It is causing stomach ache, while hair is falling out and skin is getting damaged. A recent study has also found coliform bacteria in the water supplied by the WASA,鈥� said Jamat Khan, general secretary of Rajshahi Raksha Sangram Parishad.
Instead of taking necessary measures to ensure safe and drinkable water, Rajshahi WASA has tripled water tariffs without holding any mass hearing, he said.
Rajshahi WASA raised water prices 鈥� from Tk 2.27 to Tk 6.81 per unit for domestic consumers and from Tk 4.54 to Tk 13.66 per unit for commercial consumers, effecting from February 1, 2022, for 鈥榓djusting to the production cost鈥�.
At present, the Rajshahi WASA spends Tk 8.90 on producing 1,000 litres of water (one unit) by 103 deep tube wells and supplies it through a 612-kilometre network of pipelines.
Jamat Khan said that now was the time Rajshahi WASA should consider the people鈥檚 demand.
鈥榃e will go for a tougher movement if the Rajshahi WASA does not withdraw its increased tariff and take tangible steps to ensure safe and drinkable water for the city dwellers,鈥� he added.
Among others, Rajshahi Raksha Sangram Parishad president Liakat Alli, Haripur UP chairman professor Abul Kalam Azad, lawyer Hossain Ali, Rajshahi Survey Institute former principal Mahmud Hasan, Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce former director Harunar Rashid, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon central committee member Afzal Hossain, engineer Ziauddin Ahmed, Rajshahi Women鈥檚 Web president Anjuman Ara Parveen, student leader Khalid bin Waleed, women鈥檚 leader Selina Begum, spoke at the human chain.
