Isimo Esinengozi Samakhemikhali Ezimboni
KWAKUNGEMVA nje kwaphakathi kwamabili ngokuhlwa okupholile kwangoDecember 1984 lapho kwenzeka ingozi yezimboni embi kunazo zonke emlandweni. Izwe elikude neRepublic yaseNdiya, abantu abambalwa babejwayelene negama elithi Bhopal, idolobha lezezimboni elinabantu abangaphezu kwezi-800 000 cishe elisenkabeni yezwe. Izakhamuzi zalo ezilele zazingaziqaphele izehlakalo ezibulalayo ezazenzeka endaweni eyibanga elifushane.
Embonini yaseU.S. iUnion Carbide eBhopal, ithange elithwele cishe amathani angama-41 emethyl isocyanate (MIC), ikhemikhali ebulalayo esetshenziselwa ukwakha izibulali-zinambuzane, yaqala ukwakha umfutho ophakeme ngokuyingozi. Ngokushesha, ngenxa yesivalwana esasingasebenzi kahle, ifu legesi eliwushevu laqala ukusakaza ukufa nobuhlungu phezu kwedolobha elithule. Lathatha ukuphila kwabangaphezu kwezi-2 000, amadoda, abesifazane, nezingane. Lakhubaza abanye abangaphezu kwezinkulungwane eziyikhulu.
Ukufa kwezinkulungwane zezilwane —inyathi yamanzi, izinkomo, nezinja—kwabangela ukuba izindawo ezisemaphandleni zigcwale izidumbu ezavala imigwaqo. IBhopal yaba yindawombumbulu enkulu yokushiswa kwezidumbu, ishisa izidumbu lonke usuku. Izinyanda ezingama7O zezinkuni zokushisa izidumbu, ezinezidumbu ezipakwe zaba ama-25 ukuphakama, izidumbu zashiswa emalangabini azo. Abanye bangcwatshwa emathuneni amakhulu ambiwe ngokushesha—amashumishumi ezidumbu ngesikhathi esisodwa.
Kamuva enye inhlekelele yagadla eYurophu futhi yayibizwa ngokuthi “iBhopal eRhine.” Ukuchitheka kwekhemikhali embonini ngenhla neBasel, eSwitzerland, kwagcwalisa amathani angama-36 emfucumfucu ewushevu emfuleni iRhine. Yabulala amakhulu ezinkulungwane zezinhlanzi; ;nemibokwane njengoba “yayehla njalo nomfula igudla umngcele wejalimane neFrance, ibheke eRhineland futhi idabula iNetherlands iya oLwandle lwaseNyakatho.” Elinye iphephandaba laveza uhlu lomhleli ngalendlela: “Abantu baseSwitzerland bebevame ukucatshangelwa njengabahlanzekile, imboni yabo njengelondekile, futhi lokho kwahlanganisa imboni yamakhemikhali. Konke lokhu sekwedlule manje.”
Izakhamuzi zaseBhopal nomphakathi owakhe ngokugudla uMfula iRhine zaba yizisulu zenkathi yemisebenzi yobuchwepheshe eqhosha ngokwakha inhlanganisela yamakhemikhali angaphezu kwayizi-66 000. Amaningi akhelwa ukwenza ukuphila kube lula kumuntu, kodwa, ngendlela.. ebhinqayo, inani elikhulu liyingozi kakhulu futhi lingaba lemiphumela ebulalayo nebhubhisayo, kokubili kubantu nakuso sonke isimiso sezinto eziphilayo. Omunye uchwepheshe wabiza lamakhemikhali ‘njengezibulali zezinto eziphilayo.’
Amakhemikhali amaningi anamagama amade okungabantu abambalwa abangawabiza futhi ukuze kube lula anezinhlamvu ezinjengezithi PCB, DDT, PCDD, PCDF, TCDD. Lengxubevange yongwaqa yamakhemikhali ayingozi iyingozi ebulalayo kokubili kubantu nasengcebweni engokwemvelo yomhlaba leyo umuntu okumelwe athembele kuyo ukuze aphile. Kwenzeka unyaka ngamunye ukuba “izinkulungwane zezinkulungwane zamakhemikhali ayingozi zikhishelwe endaweni ezungezile,” kusho umkhulumeli weNhlangano Yokuvikelwa Kwendawo Ezungezile yaseU.S. Lamakhemikhali alahlwayo awusongo esimweni somoya, emanzini angaphezu komhlaba, nasemithonjeni yamanzi engaphansi komhlaba, futhi angcolisa umhlabathi amashumishumi eminyaka ezayo.
iNhlangano Yokuvikelwa Kwendawo Ezungezile yaseU.S. ilinganisela ukuthi eUnited States kuphela, izigidi zezigidi eziyi-5,7 zamalitha amakhemikhali alahlwayo ayingozi zishona emithonjeni yamanzi engaphansi komhlaba unyaka ngamunye. Ukwazi ukuthi ilitha nje elilodwa lesinci bili kisi liyongcolisa amalitha ayizigidi ezingama-20 zamanzi angaphansi komhlaba kuze kweqe ezilinganisweni zokulondeka, kuyashaqisa ukubala ingozi embi kakhulu eyenziwa amalitha ayizigidi zezigidi eziyi-5,7 amakhemikhali ayingozi.
Ngenxa yamakhemikhali ayingozi nemfucumfucu kanye nokulahlwa budedengu kwawo, imifula iyangcoliswa. Izinhlanzi ziyafa. Njengoba imifula ingena ezilwandle, amakhemikhali abulalayo angena khona kanye nayo, futhi kwezinye izindawo lapho ukuphila kwasolwandle kwake kwaba yinala khona, namuhla, ngokwesazi esidumile sezilwandle uJacques Cousteau, izinhlanzi azisatholakali.
Ukuphila kwezinyoni nokwezilwane nakho kusongelwa ukungcola. Ngisho nezindawo azigcine izilwane zasendle azibonakali ziyindawo elondekile. “Izindawo eziyishumi zesizwe zokugcina izilwane zasendle zingcoliswa amakhemikhali ayingozi futhi ezinye ezingama-74 zingase zibe sengozini. . . . Amanzi emvula namanzi eqhwa ancibilikayo ezolimo aqukethe iselenium namanye amakhemikhali aye abulala amanani amakhulu ezinyoni zasemanzini ezisezindaweni zokuzigcina,” kubika ‘iThe New York Times, kaFebruary 4, 1986.
Ochwepheshe bomhlaba babonisa ukuthi ikusasa alithembisi. Ukuncipha okusheshayo kwengcebo engokwemvelo yomhlaba akupheleli ekugugulekeni komhlabathi nokungcoliswa komoya namanzi. Kuthiwani ngamahlathi amakhulu omhlaba asezindaweni ezishisayo athola imvula eningi lawo izinkulungwane zeminyaka aye aphakamisela emoyeni amagatsha awo anamaqabunga amakhulu ngamamitha amaningi? Ingabe nawo asengozini yokulandela indlela yeminye imicebo yemvelo enciphayo phambi kwamehlo ethu? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi siyakuqaphela noma cha, lemisebenzi yezandla zikaJehova emihle iyakuthinta ukuphila kwethu, njengoba isihloko esilandelayo sizobonisa.