Morocco has launched feasibility studies for a period of six months for the purpose of rehabilitating and restoring Madagascar’s Canal des Pangalanes.

The project is a 700-km canal running along the east coast of Madagascar. The studies represent the first phase of the project, according to Said Zarrou, chairman of the board of Marshica Med Ltd.

During King Mohammed VI’s visit to Madagascar in November 2016, Marshica Med Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding with the Malagasy party to preserve the canal and its nearby areas.

After the end of his visit to the canal with three study firms, Zarrou said that Marchica Med has embarked on the initial phase of the project. The investment budget and duration will be announced in six months.

Zarrou went on to add that he will visit the project’s site monthly to complete assessments and consolidate the steps of the project, noting that 200 km of the canal is surrounded by polluted and sanded lakes.

In June 2016, Zarrou noted that the project is concerned with setting up tools for the preservation of ecosystems of the sites adjacent to the canal in relation to agricultural, ecological, mining, industrial, port, urban, cultural and tourism sectors.

The Pangalanes Canal, which was built between 1896 and 1904, is a succession of rivers and lakes along the east coast of Madagascar from Tamatave to Faranfangana.

The 700-km waterway is four times longer than the Suez Canal and eight times longer than the Panama Canal, spanning a multitude of tourism, agricultural and mining sites. The canal is vitally important for the local population, which uses it as both a means of travel and of sustenance.

Source :Morocco World News