THE Rajshahi Water and Sewerage Authority has started its operation with about Tk 2 crore annual deficit while it will have to work with inadequate manpower, equipment and funds.
The Rajshahi City Corporation at a meeting in the city building on July 31 formally handed over the charge of water supplying system to the Rajshahi WASA.
With the shift of authority, a total of 252 officials and employees, including 62 permanent staff of the RCC water section, have been transferred to WASA.
But RWASA chief engineer Parvez Mamud told New Age that they needed two hundred more staff to run the organisation smoothly.
After handing over their charge, Rajshahi City Corporation finance committee president and also a councillor Abdul Hamid Sarker Tekon had informed that the RCC would get a big amount of money from WASA.
He told New Age that the RCC would get Tk 1.19 crore from RWASA in electricity bills and other charges incurred by the water supply authority during the past one year.
He also said the RCC would take this money from RWASA immediately. 'A letter has already been sent to WASA, asking for the money.'
RCC sources said there are a total 48,000 holdings under the city corporation. But the city corporation had supplied water to 32,000 holdings. Besides, there were lots of illegal connections.
System loss is another problem which RWASA inherited from the city corporation and it will be difficult for the water authority to check the system loss and monitor pipeline with its small manpower, the RCC sources added.
The sources also informed that as per the existing water tax, the Rajshahi WASA would earn Tk 2.23 crore annually but they have to spend more than Tk 4 crore for salary of the officers and staff and maintenance expenditure.
When contacted, Rajshahi WASA managing director Rezaul Haque, admitting the manpower crisis, told New Age that earlier the water supply system was a simple branch of the city corporation.
But, as WASA is now a separate and full-fledged institution, it needs more manpower than the RCC water section, he added.
He also said they had already sent a proposal to the ministry concerned, seeking immediate appointment of staff at Rajshahi WASA.
Asked about the annual deficit, the managing director of RWASA again said they would receive more allocation from the government to meet fund crisis.
He, however, said as per its guidelines, WASA is supposed to be run with its own income.
'But, as RWASA has started its business only recently, it will take time for self-sufficiency,' he said, adding that after five or six months WASA would increase the water tax.
The Rajshahi city dwellers hope that Rajshahi Water and Sewerage Authority will address the long-standing water crisis in the city.
Subrata Das, a college teacher and resident of Ganakpara in the city, told New Age that they wanted safe dirking water from RWASA.
Gita Rani, a housewife and resident of Kumarpara, told New Age that they used to go the River Padma to take bath and urged the WASA to ensure interrupted supply of water.
Source : New Age
