Antananarivo intensifies canal cleaning to prepare for rainy season floods

The Commune urbaine d’Antananarivo (CUA) is increasing its canal cleaning operations in Madagascar to prepare for the upcoming rainy season.

The city authorities launched a cleaning program on 2 October 2026 as part of the Vivre contre travail (VCT) project. This initiative targets 61 fokontany (local neighborhoods) across six districts to clear mud, sand, and waste from secondary and tertiary canals to improve rainwater flow. Local officials face several hurdles during these preparations.

While the CUA manages smaller canals, the Autorité pour la protection contre les inondations de la plaine d’Antananarivo (APIPA) handles primary structures. Workers struggle with illegal waste dumping, sewage discharge, and construction that blocks access to the canals. Furthermore, a shortage of equipment forces teams to move machinery between neighborhoods after every task, which slows down the work schedule and disrupts the timeline. In some areas, residents and local leaders report a lack of specialized equipment for immediate flood response.

In Andavamamba Anatihazo, the neighborhood head Nomenjanahary Jean de Dieu Rakotoniaina states that no specific equipment has arrived yet. In Andranomahery Akorondrano, the CUA and the Bureau national de gestion des risques et des catastrophes (BNGRC) have performed cleaning, but local teams still rely on the BNGRC for alerts and reports when water levels rise. The CUA has identified community halls and gyms as temporary shelters and has prepared 50 tents and communal latrines for emergencies.