Amandla Avela Phakathi Entabeni

“UHAMBO losuku oyolukhumbula kukho konke ukuphila kwakho.” Kwachazwa kanjalo ukuhambela kwami eningizimu-ntshonalanga yeSouth Island yaseNew Zealand ezincwajaneni zokuvakasha. Futhi kwakuyiqiniso. Uhambo lokusuka eManapouri uya eDoubtful Sound, udabula amanzi nezintaba, lwangixhumanisa nemibukwane eyingqayizivele nemisebenzi yobunjiniyela ehlaba umxhwele. Kwakunjengokubona isimangaliso sesishiyagalombili emhlabeni​—⁠isiteshi samandla kagesi esisebenza ngamanzi esifihlwe phakathi entabeni.

Uhambo lwami futhi lwangikhumbuza ngezakhamuzi ezindala zaseNew Zealand, amaMaori, nezinganekwane nezilimi zazo zasendulo. Ngokwemilando emibili yamaMaori, elithi “Manapouri” lingase lisho ‘ichibi losizi noma lezinyembezi’ noma ‘ichibi lenhliziyo elusizi.’ Kimi kwakuyigama lalelidolobhana futhi engaqala ngalo ngalolosuku engingenakulukhohlwa.

Umbukwane Ongalindelekile

Njengoba isikebhe sethu sasintweza kamnandi siwela ichibi elithulile, sabona izigodi ezinhle kakhulu ezimi njengo-U nezintaba eziphakeme kakhulu. Saba nenhlanhla yokuba nosuku oluhle olucwathile, njengoba lesifunda sithola imvula efinyelela kumamilimitha angu-⁠7 500 ngonyaka! Ngakho kwakuyipharadesi lomthathi wezithombe, elinezihlahla nohlaza oluningi kakhulu olumila osebeni lwamanzi lugudle izintaba. Kwakuwumsindo wesikebhe sethu kuphela owawuwubufakazi banoma ikuphi ukungena komuntu kulesifunda ohambweni lwethu lwamaminithi angu-75 siwela ichibi. Kodwa uhambo oluyaphi?

Esakubona okwakungalindelekile​—⁠eWest Arm, ngakolunye uhlangothi lwechibi, esikhaleni nje, indawo eqondisa ukusebenza kwesiteshi samandla kagesi esisebenza ngamanzi. Yini eyayingashukumisela noma ubani ukuba akhe isiteshi samandla lapha, kude kangaka nalapho kuhlala khona abantu? Ukuhlangana okungavamile kwezimo zokuma kwendawo nokuyizungezileyo kuphela okwakunganikeza noma yimuphi unjiniyela noma umklami wezwe lolugqozi.

Lowomqondo waba khona ngo-1904 lapho uP. J. Hay, umklami wezwe, ephawula ukuba nokwenzeka kokusetshenziswa kwalelichibi lamanzi. Liphakeme ngamamitha angaphezu kuka-180 kusuka ogwini lolwandle, futhi njengoba lijule cishe ngamamitha angu-450, iphansi lalo lishone ngamamitha acishe abe ngu-260 ukusuka ogwini lolwandle! Nokho, lihlukaniswe nolwandle ngamakhilomitha angu-10 kuphela ezintaba. Kodwa kwakuzoba eminye iminyaka engu-60 ngaphambi kokuba umqondo wakhe wenziwe ube ongokoqobo. Yini eyaqalisa isinyathelo sokuqala? Inkampane yaseAustralia encibilikisa insimbi esebenzela eNew Zealand yayidinga amandla omshini wayo wokuncibilikisa oseTiwai Point, eduze naseInvercargill, ecishe ibe ngamakhilomitha angu-160 uma uhamba ngendlela eqondile. Kodwa ugesi wawuzophehlwa kanjani?

Umbono Wenziwa Waba Ongokoqobo

Isu, elasungulwa inkampane yonjiniyela yaseBechtel esekelwe eU.S., laliwukumba umhubhe ojulile entabeni ebizwa ngokuthi iLeaning Peak bese kwakhiwa isiteshi sokuphehla ngezansi ekugcineni kweLake Manapouri. Ngaleyondlela, amanzi alo ayezokwehlela emigodini abese ehambisa amaturbine ayisikhombisa ayezophehla ugesi. Amandla kagesi ayezodluliselwa esimisweni sikagesi sesizwe ngesiteshi esiqondisa ukuhamba kukagesi esisemaphethelweni echibi. (Bheka umfanekiso, ekhasini 17.) Kodwa wonke lawomanzi ayezophuma kanjani? Izisebenzi zakulomgodi kwadingeka zimbe umhubhe wokudlulisa amanzi onobubanzi obungamamitha angu-9 nobude obungaba amakhilomitha angu-10 ngaphansi kwezintaba. Lokhu kwakuzovumela amanzi ukuba aphumele eDeep Cove eDoubtful Sound, omunye wemingenela yolwandle ephakathi kwamawa emihle kakhulu yaseNew Zealand. Lowomhubhe uwodwa wadinga ukuba kususwe amacubic meter angu-760 000 edwala.

Cabanga nje ngezinqwabakazi zedwala okwakuzodingeka zisuswe entabeni ngenxa yemigodi yamanzi nendlu yamaturbine kagesi. Lendlu, noma ihholo lemishini, iyodwa ingamamitha angu-111 ubude, amamitha angu-39 ukuphakama, namamitha angu-18 ububanzi. Ngobude ingalingana nenkundla yebhola lezinyawo yaseMelika. Kodwa okokuqala kwakudingeka umhubhe ukuze kufinyelelwe futhi kumbiwe ihholo lemishini, lapho kwakuzohlala khona amaturbine nezinjini zokuphehla ugesi. Lokho kwakuyinselele eyingqayizivele ngokwakho!

Lomhubhe onomgwaqo ongaphezu kwamakhilomitha amabili ubude owehlela ngemitha elilodwa kulawo nalawomamitha ayishumi ugwingciza wehlele ehholo lemishini. Njengoba singena entabeni ngebhasi lethu lezivakashi, kwakuwumcabango osabisayo ukuthi sasehlela khona kanye emathunjini ayo.

Lapho ekugcineni siphuma ebhasini futhi singena ehholo lamaturbine, kwakunjengokungathi okuthile okuqanjwe abezesayensi​—⁠indlu enkulu yezesayensi esekujuleni kwentaba! Kodwa ngangikhathazwa umbuzo owodwa, Bayiletha kanjani yonke imishini esindayo endaweni okwakhiwa kuyo ukuze kwenziwe lomsebenzi oyinkimbinkimbi? Okuwukuphela kwezindawo zokungena kwakuwulwandle noma ichibi. Yayingekho imigwaqo. Kwanqunywa ukuthi kwakuzoba lula ukuletha eminingi yemishini yokuphehla ugesi ngolwandle. Lokho kwashiya undi lwentaba njengesithiyo endleleni eya endaweni okwakhiwa kuyo isiteshi samandla kagesi. Lalizoba yini ikhambi? Ukwakha umgwaqo.

Umgwaqo WaseNew Zealand Owehlela Kakhulu

Umsebenzi wokwakha umgwaqo oxhumayo osuka eDeep Cove uye eWest Arm waqala ngo-1963, “enye yezinselele ezinzima kakhulu zokwakha imigwaqo emhlabeni,” ngokomunye umthombo. Kungani kwakunjalo? “Imvula, iqhwa, imifula yodaka kanye nezinqwabanqwaba zohlaza oluminyene kwandisa isikhathi sokuqeda sasukela ezinyangeni ezingu-12 kuya kwezingu-24.” Amakhilomitha angu-23 ubude, ekugcineni wabiza u-R2,67 ngesentimitha​—⁠umgwaqo obiza kakhulu! Unezingxenye ezehlela ngemitha elilodwa emamitheni ayisihlanu, waba umgwaqo owehlela kakhulu waseNew Zealand. Nokho, wawuyixhumela elibalulekile lokuthutha amathani angu-87 000 ezinto zokwakha esuka ogwini lolwandle, eqa iWilmot Pass (engamamitha angu-670) eya ogwini lwechibi. Umthwalo owodwa kuphela wawunesisindo samathani angu-290 futhi wawudinga into yokuhamba enamasondo angu-140 eyayidonswa ugandaganda wokukha inhlabathi (bulldozer) nogandaganda wokulungisa umgwaqo futhi ubuye uphushwe omunye ugandaganda wokukha inhlabathi! Kodwa umsebenzi wenziwa.

Imiphumela Ezintweni Eziphilayo Nokuzizungezile

Lomsebenzi omkhulu uzithinta kanjani izinto eziphilayo nokuzizungezile kuleyondawo? Njengoba ingxenye enkulu yesiteshi samandla kagesi ingaphansi, sibonakala kancane ngaphandle kwesiteshi sokuqondisa ukuhamba kukagesi nezintambo zikagesi ezinqamula ezintabeni. Endaweni enkulu yalesifunda, ngisho nezigxobo zikagesi nezintambo kubonakala kancane. Kodwa kunomunye umbuzo okumelwe uphendulwe.

Uma iLake Manapouri, ikhishwa amanzi ngemuva, isilinganiso sayo silondolozwa kanjani? Isici esisodwa esiyisisekelo siyizinga eliphakeme lemvula yaminyaka yonke kulesifunda. Idolobhana laseManapouri lithola isilinganiso saminyaka yonke samamilimitha angu-⁠1 250, kuyilapho isiteshi samandla kagesi eWest Arm sithola amamilimitha angu-⁠3 750. Futhi, kulandelwa iziqondiso eziqinile ekuqondiseni isilinganiso sechibi ukuze lihlale lisondele esilinganisweni salo esingokwemvelo. Njengoba iLake Manapouri isemaphethelweni esimiso samanzi esihlanganisa iLake Te Anau nemifula iUpper neLower Waiau, kusetshenziswa amadamu alawulayo ukuze kulondolozwe isilinganiso esidingekayo esiteshini samandla kagesi. Lapho kunamanzi amaningi kakhulu izinjini zikagesi ezingenakuwasingatha, amasango amadamu ayavuleka ukuze kuphume amanzi angadingeki.

Ubani Ozuzayo?

Ukwakhiwa kwesiteshi samandla kagesi esisebenza ngamanzi esikhulu kunazo zonke eNew Zealand kuye kwaba isibonelo sokubambisana komhlaba wonke. Amaturbine enziwa eScotland, izinjini zokuphehla ugesi eJalimane, kanti amatransformer eItaly. Eyokuqala yezinjini zokuphehla ugesi yaqala ukusebenza ngo-1969. NgoSeptember 1971 zonke eziyisikhombisa zase zisebenza. Ubani othola inzuzo yawo wonke lamandla aphehlwayo? Amaningi awo aya emisebenzini yokuncibilikisa insimbi eTiwai Point, wonke amanye aya esimisweni sikagesi sesizwe saseNew Zealand. Ukusebenza kwesiteshi samandla kagesi saseManapouri nokuqhubeka kokuphakwa kukagesi kubaluleke kakhulu emsebenzini wokuncibilikisa insimbi. Ukuphazamiseka kokuphakelwa kwamandla kagesi okungaphezu kwamahora amabili kungasho ukuvalwa kwalendawo izinyanga eziningana. Isiteshi samandla kagesi saseManapouri nabantu abancibilikisa insimbi bayabambisana ukuze baqinisekise ukusebenza kahle kukagesi.

Sahamba ngebhasi sanqamula iWilmot Pass sase sehlela eDoubtful Sound. Lapho sabona amanzi ageleza ngomhubhe esuka esiteshini samandla kagesi saseManapouri egelezela emngeneleni othulile. Lomngenela unesici esimangalisayo. “Ingaphezulu lalomngenela liwungqimba lwamanzi amahle ahleli phezu kwamanzi olwandle ashubile. Emngeneleni amanzi amahle ahlala ewungqimba oluhlukile​—⁠umfula ogeleza ngokuthulile phezu kwalolulwandle oluvalelwe.”​—⁠Manapouri to Doubtful Sound, kaBarry Brailsford noDerek Mitchell.

Esinye isikebhe esihamba ngezinjini sasihambisa sagudla umngenela. Kwenye indawo ukaputeni wacima izinjini, futhi salalela ukuthula okukhulu kwalelopharadesi elizothile. Ukukhala kwenyoni okwenzeka izikhawu kwakunanela ngaphesheya kwamanzi. Yeka ukwehluka emsindweni wamandla adumayo esiteshi sikagesi esisebenza ngamanzi saseManapouri esiqhele ngamakhilomitha ambalwa, esifihlwe phakathi kwentaba.​—⁠Inikelwe.

[Umdwebo/Izithombe ekhasini 17]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Indlela Isiteshi Samandla Kagesi Esakhiwe Ngayo

ILake Manapouri

Umgodi wekheshi

Umgodi osesangweni ongenisa amanzi

Izindawo okungena kuzo amanzi nezisefo

Umhubhe odlulisa amanzi oya eDeep Cove

Intuba yokuphuma uma kunengozi

Isiteshi esingaphandle

Umgodi wezintambo zikagesi

Umhubhe wokungena

Umgodi ongaphansi wama“transformer”

Ihholo lemishini

Umhubhe okulungiselwa kuwo

[Izithombe]

Isiteshi esiqondisa ugesi

Ihholo lemishini

Isiteshi samandla kagesi saseManapouri

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Doubtful Sound, New Zealand

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Umhubhe ongenela entabeni ubuye wehlele ehholo lemishini