The Khulna Water Supply and Sewerage Authority imposes fee and service charges for getting approval of and using deep tube-wells in the city from this month with a view to discouraging the ground water users, say the KWASA officials.
The city dwellers, however, complain that the service provider looks for an excuse to make more money through imposing new fees.
They demand that the KWASA should increase the number of its supply lines and uninterrupted water supply in those lines.
KWASA officials acknowledge that they can supply only two third of the total demand of about 3 crore gallons of water a day and the people have to depend on ponds and deep tube-wells for the rest.
KWASA, at present, has 70 production wells and about 10,000 hand tube-wells to pump water and they have about 14,000 approved connections in the city, the officials say, adding that KWASA has 234 kilometres of water lines in the city for about 15 lakh city dwellers.
The officials also say that, according to the new system, the authority fixed Tk 10,000 to get an approval for 1.5 inch diameter deep tube-well and Tk 15,000 for 2 inch diameter tube-well.
1.5 inch diameter deep tube-well owners will have to pay Tk 250 and 2 inch diameter deep tube-well owners will have to pay Tk 300 for a month as service charge.
Those who have deep tube-wells before the promulgation of the ordinance will have to pay Tk 500 as registration fee, the officials add.
Hasan Mahamud Babu, a deep tube-well user of Islampur Cross Road at Dolkhola in the city, says that KWASA's new order indicates that the service provider is trying to make water a 'commodity for trade'.
He also says that the deep tube-well owners, especially of the low income families, will experience a series suffering for the 'whimsical decision' of KWASA.
He demands that the authority should cancel the system immediately considering the financial ability of the people.
Another residence, Khan Mohammad Shamim Hossain of Rayermahal complains that the KWASA's does not supply water to his area and says that if the KWASA can supply adequate water to his area, the people will stop using the tube-wells and pressure on underground water will decrease consequently.
The Khulna Nagarik Samaj member secretary, Firoz Ahmed tells New Age that KWASA should postpone its decision immediately.
He demands that the use of sinking deep tube-wells in the city should be banned and the KWASA should expand its services by using surface water to reduce pressure on underground acquifer.
KWASA sub-assistant managing director Mohammad Alamgir Hossain says, 'The KWASA has taken the decision to check the growing use of underground water and to boost fee collection to pay the employees.'
He expresses his hope that the new decision will reach a success within a short time.
Source : New Age
