WASA apathetic despite water crisis in Mirpur-11

Residents of Mirpur-11 in the capital have been struggling with an acute shortage of piped water for months, forcing many households to depend on water supplied by WASA tankers.

The residents, however, allege that they are being charged Tk 200 to Tk 400 more than the officially fixed prices for a tanker water, adding to their financial burden amid the prolonged crisis.

The shortage has severely disrupted daily life in the densely populated area. Cooking, bathing, washing clothes and other essential household activities have become difficult as many families are being forced to collect water from alternative sources or purchase tanker water.

Residents said water sometimes reaches their homes only once every five to seven days. Even when the supply returns, they said, it often lasts for only 10 to 30 minutes, leaving households unable to collect enough water for their daily needs.

Some residents said the situation had become so difficult that they were considering moving to other areas.

During a recent visit to Mirpur-11 and conversations with several residents, this correspondent found that the water shortage had become a major concern for local households.

According to residents, WASA has fixed the price at Tk 400 for a small tanker and Tk 600 for a large tanker. In practice, however, they alleged that they have to pay Tk 600 to Tk 700 for a small tanker and Tk 800 to Tk 1,000 for a large one.

Sonia Anjum, who has been living in the area for around 18 years, said she had never experienced such a severe water crisis before.

Residents of Block B’s Lanes 2 and 3 said they had been suffering from the shortage for more than four months. They claimed the situation deteriorated after road construction work began in the area on March 20.

Rohim Mia, a resident, said they sometimes received water for only around 15 minutes a day. Another resident, Bakul, alleged that neither WASA nor the city corporation had taken effective steps to resolve the problem.

WASA officials, however, denied that their employees were charging customers additional money.

Md Mostain Billah Alamgir, deputy assistant engineer of WASA’s MODS Zone-10, said the officially fixed price was clearly displayed on the tankers and customers were required to pay only that amount.

There is also a sharp disagreement between residents’ accounts and WASA’s official position regarding the current water situation in Mirpur.

Md Asaduzzaman, executive engineer (current charge) of WASA’s MODS Zone-10, claimed that there was no ongoing water crisis in Mirpur.

Residents, however, said they had already lodged repeated complaints through WASA’s hotline 16162 and visited the MODS Zone-10 office to report the shortage.

Rakin, a resident of Mirpur-11, said they regularly paid their WASA bills but did not receive water accordingly.
Another resident, Kabir Hossen, said they had been facing a severe water shortage for nearly two months despite informing WASA officials, senior authorities and the local lawmaker.

The conflicting accounts have left residents uncertain about the cause of the prolonged disruption. While residents continue to report severe shortages and dependence on costly tanker water, WASA maintains that there is currently no water crisis in Mirpur.