Tegucigalpa Tackles Drought with Well Rehabilitation and New WhatsApp Service

The Municipal Mayor's Office of the Central District (AMDC) is making progress in rehabilitating wells to combat the water crisis gripping the capital, exacerbated by drought conditions. Concurrently, a new citizen service platform utilizing WhatsApp has been introduced to streamline public assistance.

Mayor Juan Diego Zelaya reported that efforts are underway to restore five wells in the Satelite neighborhood, involving repairs to sanitation equipment and pipelines. The administration is also working to reactivate the water network, aiming to supply an estimated 800 to 900 homes in areas south of the city. Additional wells managed by the Municipal Unit for Drinking Water and Sanitation (UMAPS) are also being brought back online to bolster available resources.

"The wells, we are doing well," stated Zelaya, adding that progress is also being made on connecting the Los Almendros well to the system serving the Morazán boulevard. Plans are also in motion to establish other points for water distribution via cisterns.

“

The wells, we are doing well

The municipality is evaluating the necessity of extending water rationing periods from the current nine days to twelve days, though a final decision has not yet been made. Zelaya indicated that the situation would be reassessed based on upcoming weather patterns to conserve reservoir levels, which were extended until September 22 following a previous adjustment from seven to nine days.

In parallel with water scarcity measures, the AMDC launched its AI-powered WhatsApp platform for citizen services. This system will allow residents to report issues such as potholes, damaged pipes, and noise disturbances from establishments. It will also provide information on water distribution and garbage collection schedules. Zelaya expressed the intention to progressively expand the platform's capabilities, aiming for 80% to 90% of municipal procedures to be manageable via WhatsApp. The municipality also plans to integrate AI into other services, including modernizing traffic lights with cameras and license plate readers to improve traffic flow.

“

We will see how the climate behaves in the coming days to see if it becomes necessary to make a decision to extend the life of our reservoirs a little longer