Water price hike ‘surprise’ in South Darfur capital

People in Nyala, capital of South Darfur, have complained about a 100 percent increase in their monthly drinking water bills. Listeners told Radio Dabanga that the city utilities have doubled the monthly water bill from SDG25 ($4.40) SDG50 ($8.80). A number of citizens were taken by surprise when they went to pay their January bill. The Water Corporation refused to accept payment of the old tariff and threatened to cut-off the supply from each house refusing to pay the new price. “This indicates that the increase was imposed by the Water Corporation and not the state legislature,” a listener commented. Callers pointed out that the increase is beyond the means of the vast majority of the population, especially in light of deteriorating economic conditions and other rising prices in Nyala. File photo (Albert González Farran / Unamid) Related: Food prices soar in South Darfur capital (5 February 2014) ‘Food prices, scarcity of petrol still rising’: South Kordofan citizens (15 January 2014)