Usizi LoLwandle IAral
“EMLANDWENI wesintu akukaze kwenzeke ukuba phambi kwamehlo esizukulwane esisodwa sabantu, ulwandle lonke lunyamalale ebusweni bomhlaba.”
Ngemva kwalokho kuphawula, uR. V. Khabibullaen, ilungu elivelele lomphakathi wesayensi wezwe elaliyiSoviet Union, wachaza: “O, leso isenzakalo esibuhlungu esisongela uLwandle iAral.”
Lolulwandle olukhulu lusezindaweni eziwugwadule zaseUzbekistan naseKazakhstan, okwakungamariphabhuliki aseAsia eSoviet Union. Ngo-1960 lwaluhlanganisa amakhilomitha-skwele angaba ngu-67 000, okwalwenza lwaba indawo ephakathi nezwe enamanzi engeyesine ngobukhulu emhlabeni. Okuwukuphela kwezilwandle ezazizinkudlwana kwakuwuLwandle oluseduze iCaspian, iChibi iSuperior laseNyakatho Melika, neChibi iVictoria laseAfrika.
Nokho, eminyakeni engu-30 edlule, ulwandle iAral luye lwancipha ngaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu ngendawo nangomthamo ongaba izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu! Amakhilomitha-skwele angaphezu kuka-28 000 eAral, awukuphindwa kabili kwezwe laseConnecticut, eU.S.A., anyamalele. Ugu lolwandle luye lwehla ngamamitha angaphezu kuka-12, futhi amanzi ezindaweni aye ehla kusuka emakhilomitheni angu-80 kuya kwayikhulu ukusuka ogwini lwawo lwangaphambili. Lokhu kuye kwaveza ugu olomile olunesihlabathi esiwugwadule lapho ngaphambili amanzi amahle acwebile ayegcwele izinhlanzi. Imizi yokudoba eyake yachuma manje ayisahlali muntu emakhilomitheni amaningi ukusuka ogwini.
Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1950, eAral minyaka yonke kwakubanjwa izinhlanzi zokuthengisa ezingaba amakhilogremu ayizigidi ezingu-45. Izinhlobo ezingamashumi amabili nane zezinhlanzi ezihlala emanzini acwebile zazandile emanzini olwandle anesilinganiso esincane sikasawoti. Abadobi abangaba ngu-10 000 babesebenza ngaphandle kwetheku laseMuynak lilodwa, lapho amaphesenti amathathu ezinhlanzi ezidotshwa unyaka ngamunye eSoviet Union ayelungiswa khona. Kodwa manje ibhizinisi eliphumelelayo lokudoba, elake lanika abantu abangu-60 000 umsebenzi, lifile; ukwanda kukasawoti emanzini eAral kuzibulele izinhlanzi.
Umbukwane Ongenakulinganiswa
Ngokumangalisayo, iMuynak, enani layo labantu liye lehla lisuka kwabangaphezu kuka-30 000 liya kwabacishe babe ngu-20 000, manje ingamakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-30 ukusuka kuyiAral ehlehlayo! Isivakashi esivela eUnited States, esasisondela edolobheni ngendiza, sabika njengesibona “okufana namathoyizi emikhumbi etshekele nganhlanye ogwadule.” Sesiyibonela eduze lendawo lapho sesiphansi, saphawula: “Eziningi izinqola zokudoba ezinkulu zensimbi nezinye izikebhe kutshekile futhi ingxenye igqibekile, njengokungathi kuphonswe ngamaza anamandla emakhilomitheni amaningi maphakathi nezwe.”
Lapho amanzi olwandle eqala ukuncipha, kwembiwa imihubhe ukuze izikebhe ezisesikhumulweni solwandle iMuynak zithole indlela eya olwandle oluvulekile. Kodwa imeya yedolobha yaphawula: “Ebusika bango-1974 ulwandle lwancipha ngokushesha, futhi ngentwasahlobo, lapho ngokuvamile kwakungeniswa imikhumbi emisha emanzini, amanzi ayemancane, futhi kwakunzima ukuyihambisa.”
Yini eyabangela lolusizi?
Isizathu Sokuba Ulwandle Lunyamalale
Kusukela esikhathini esingaziwa imifula emibili emikhulu, iAmu Darya neSyr Darya yayichithela eAral. Lemifula ithola amanzi ayo eqhweni elincibilika ezintabeni iAfghanistan neKyrgyzstan eziseningizimu-mpumalanga. Nokho, ukuze bashintshe usebe olomile lweAral lube indawo enkulu yokulima, amanzi aphambukiselwa emifuleni yokunisela ukuze kungabikho manzi agelezela olwandle.
Lokho okuthiwa umsebenzi wolwandle iAral kwaqalwa ngo-1960, futhi ngokushesha insimu eyayiniselwa yase ikhule yafinyelela kumahektare acishe abe yizigidi ezingu-6,8, okuwukuphindwa kabili kwamasimu aseCalifornia, eU.S.A. Ugwadule lwaqhakaza ngokulinywayo, kodwa ngokushesha ulwandle lwaqala ukunyamalala.
Ingabe izinzuzo ziye zaba ngaphezu komonakalo owenzeka olwandle?
Izinzuzo Nemiphumela Edabukisayo
Isitshalo esiningi ukotini, cishe ingxenye yezwe kulinywa wona kuphela. Ngaphambi kokuba iSoviet Union ichithwe, amaphesenti angu-95 kakotini eyayiwusebenzisa ayevela kulensimu eniselwayo osebeni lweAral. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwakunomningi osalayo wokuthunyelwa emazweni angaphandle ukuze unikeze imali edingekayo. Lendawo yayikhiqiza futhi amaphesenti acishe abe ngu-40 erayisi laseSoviet Union.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, usebe lweAral lwaba ngeliholayo ekunikezeni izwe izithelo eziluhlaza nemifino, njengoba kunjalo ngeCalifornia eUnited States. Futhi amathuba omsebenzi aye anikezwa inani elikhula ngokushesha labantu balendawo elicishe libe izigidi ezingu-40. Nokho, akuzange kubhekwe kusengaphambili ngokuqondene nendlela indawo ezungezile eyayiyothinteka ngayo.
Ngokwesibonelo, imifula yokunisela yayingenziwanga ngokhonkolo. Ngenxa yalokho, amanzi amaningi ayemuncwa yisihlabathi ngisho nangaphambi kokuba afinyelele ezitshalweni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwakusetshenziswa izilinganiso ezinkulu zezibulala-zinambuzane eziyingozi, futhi ukuze kulungiselelwe ukuvunwa kukakotini, kwakusetshenziswa imithi enamandla yokubulala izitshalo ukuze iwohloze amaqabunga ezitshalo.
Ngakho, umonakalo endaweni ezungezile uye waba mkhulu, ngisho nangaphezu komonakalo webhizinisi lokudoba olwandle iAral. Ngokwesibonelo, unyaka ngamunye amashumi ezigidi zamathani esihlabathi nosawoti okukhukhulwa umoya amakhilomitha-skwele angu-28 000 kusuka ogwini olungavikelekile kungena ezivunguvungwini ezinkulu ngesilinganiso esikhulu ngokwanele ukuba kungabonakala usemkhathini.
Okuwa kulezivunguvungu, kungaba sesimweni sothuli noma imvula, kuqukethe izilinganiso eziyingozi zikasawoti, izibulala-zinambuzane, nezinye izinhlanganisela. Ezinye izingxenye zosebe lweAral unyaka ngamunye zithola ithani elilodwa kanye nesigamu sesine ngehektare yalenhlanganisela kasawoti nesihlabathi. Futhi uthuli lwaseAral luye lwatholakala endaweni ekude njengasogwini lweArctic yaseRussia.
Esinye isici esithusayo umphumela lokhu kuncipha kolwandle iAral okuye kwaba nawo esimweni sezulu. Ithonya lolwandle lokwenza isimo sezulu sibe sesilinganisweni liye lancipha okwenza amazinga okushisa kwasehlobo aphakame futhi awasebusika abe phansi. Entwasahlobo, isithwathwa siyephuza ukuba khona, futhi ngasekupheleni siyashesha ukuba khona, sinciphise lenkathi eqhubekayo.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukonakala kweAral kuye kwabangela ukuqothulwa okuphelele kwempilo yezilwane. Kwakunezinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-170 zezilwane ezaziphila eduze kweAral eminyakeni embalwa edlule; manje kunezingaphansi kuka-40. Ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1960, kwakuthathwa izikhumba zemuskrat ezingaphezu kuka-600 000 ngonyaka, manje cishe azikho ezitholwayo. Ukwanda kokusansimbi okuqukethwe ulwandle kuye kwabulala izilwane zasogwadule eziphuza kulo.
Izwe Elifayo Nabantu Abagulayo
Ngokwesabekayo, izwe lithola ushevu ngenxa kasawoti omningi osemhlabathini. Lapho inhlabathi yasogwadule iniselwa, ilanga elishisayo lihwamula amanzi amaningi, landise usawoti emhlabathini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho izilinganiso ezinkulu zamanzi zicwila emhlabathini, lokhu kuphakamisa kancane kancane izinga lamanzi. Futhi lapho amanzi anobuthi efinyelela ezimpandeni zezitshalo, ziyalimala ngenxa yobuthi bamanzi. Yilokho okwenzeka osebeni lolwandle iAral. “Isifo esifanayo esaba nengxenye ekuwohlokeni kwempucuko yokuqala yaseMesopotamia,” kwachaza omunye umbhali, “sifuna esinye futhi isisulu.”
Abantu ngokufanayo badliswa ushevu. Izibulala-zinambuzane nemithi ebulala izitshalo kudlulela phansi kufake ubuthi emanzini emithombo. Ngakho, abantu abaningi baphuza amanzi anamakhemikhali ayingozi, futhi imiphumela ingebhubhisayo. “Izincwadi zendawo zezempilo,” kuphawula umagazini iWorld Watch, “zigcwele izindaba zezingane ezizalwa zikhubazekile, izifo ezandayo zesibindi nezinso, izifo zokushisa kwesisu, ukwanda kokufa kwezinsana, nokukhuphuka kwamanani omdlavuza.”
UDkt. Leonid Elpiner, obhekene ngokukhethekile nezinkinga zempilo yolwandle iAral, wachaza ubunzima okuhlangatshezwana nabo kulesifunda “njengezinkinga ezinezimpawu ezinjengengculaza kodwa ezibangwa amakhemikhali okubulala izinambuzane.” Wathi: “Sicabanga ukuthi esikuphokophele ngokuyinhloko akusekhona ukusindisa uLwandle iAral. Siphokophele ukusindisa abantu.”
Umhleli weNational Geographic, uWilliam S. Ellis, omunye wezivakashi zokuqala zaseMelika kulesifunda, wabhala: “Lolulwandle luwusizi oluqhubekayo endaweni ezungezile—okungenani olulingana, ngokusho kwabaningi, nenhlekelele yenuzi yaseChernobyl yango-1986.” Emhlanganweni waseMuynak enye indoda yayibiza ngisho nangokuthi “embi ngokuphindwe kayishumi.”
Eqinisweni, okuye kwenzeka olwandle iAral kuyinhlekelele. Nokho, kwakungeyona inhloso. Abaphathi babenezinhloso ezinhle. Babezama ukwenza ugwadule luqhakaze ukuze londle abantu. Kodwa ukwenza kwabo imizamo kuye kwabangela ukuhlupheka okubi kakhulu, okuzidlula kude izinzuzo.
Ebhekisela enhlekeleleni yolwandle iAral, umbhali waphawula umthwalo wemfanelo wabantu wokushiyela izizukulwane ezizayo umhlaba “njengendawo enhle nenesithunzi.” Ngeshwa, okuphambene nalokho kuye kwenzeka lapha, njengoba kufakazelwa izinguquko ezimangalisayo ezaqala osebeni lolwandle iAral eminyakeni engu-30 edlule.
[Isithombe ekhasini 24, 25]
Amanzi ogwini lolwandle iAral aye ehla afinyelela kumakhilomitha angu-95, eshiya imikhumbi isenkingeni esihlabathini
[Umthombo]
David Turnley/Black Star
[Isithombe ekhasini 26]
Ukunisela kuguqule usebe lolwandle iAral lwaba izwe elikhiqizayo kodwa ngokulahlekelwa okukhulu
[Umthombo]
David Turnley/Black Star