The City of Flies

Andralanitra, Antananarivo, 2015

Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar, is home to one of the largest dumpsites of the African continent, operative since the ‘60s. The dumpsite, which now covers over 45 acres and is still expanding, receives between 350 and 550 tons of new waste each day.

Fire burns endlessly in the midst of the hills of garbage, which can reach up to 15 meters in height, and the air is constantly imbued with a toxic fog that creates an eerie landscape.

Around 3000 people live and work here, collecting plastic, metals, and coal. Many of them came to Antananarivo hoping to find better living conditions and fortune. The dumpsite is scattered with small tombs, marking the bodies of fetuses and unwanted newborns.

Residents of the capital commonly refer to this place as “Ralalitra”: the city of flies.