Madagascar: risk of landslides in the upper town of Antananarivo
Slightly more than 1,600 roofs located on the western and eastern slopes of Manjakamiadana hill, in the upper town of Antananarivo, are threatened by landslides and rockfalls.
© Laetitia Bezain/RFI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
After the heavy rains of recent days and the passage of a tropical depression, the danger still hovers in the districts of the upper town of the Malagasy capital.
Advertising
Read more
With our correspondent in Antananarivo,
Laetitia Bezain
Despite dry weather on Wednesday, the risk of landslides and rockfalls are still present on the eastern and western slopes of Manjakamiadana hill, warns the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management, which has asked residents to leave the premises.
In the district of Ambanin'Ampamarinana, landslides took place about fifty meters from the washerwomen who resumed their daily lives.
Tiana, hanging out her laundry, stares at the rocks overlooking the neighborhood.
“
There are the firefighters who remove the stones that have fallen and they look at the threatening ones.
It's scary because down there are houses
,” she says.
Despite the fear and the red flags that signal imminent danger, many residents take the risk of staying rather than leaving their homes and jobs, explains Willie, a grocer: "
In the night, members of the police are came and they knocked on everyone and they said: "
Wake up! You have to leave, there is an imminent danger!
" But I didn't leave because going to the accommodation centers is not a long term solution.
If we don't leave, it's not because we're stubborn as the state thinks.
We know there is a danger, but it's a big waste of money for us to leave.
»
Every year during the rainy season, households in these neighborhoods face this dilemma, says Solofo, a carpenter.
“
We didn't follow the order that says to go to the centers because it's like that every year and there are no real solutions.
We need to be given another place to really live.
I work here.
If I go to a disaster center, where will I work
?
There are thieves who can take what we have at home.
Even if we have few things, for us it is important.
»
Just over 1,600 roofs are threatened by landslides in the upper town.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_EN
Madagascar
Natural disasters