ICherrapunji—Enye Yezindawo Ezinemvula Eningi Kunazo Zonke Emhlabeni

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENDIYA

ENYE yezindawo ezinemvula eningi kunazo zonke emhlabeni? Kodwa kungenzeka kanjani lokho? Ukuntuleka kwamanzi kuyinto evamile lapha eNdiya, futhi ngokuvamile awusidingi ngisho nesambulela! Iyiphi le ndawo eyinqaba esikhuluma ngayo? ICherrapunji—idolobhana laseMeghalaya, isifundazwe sasenyakatho-mpumalanga yeNdiya, emngceleni weBangladesh. IMeghalaya yinhle kangangokuthi ibizwa ngokuthi “iScotland yaseMpumalanga.” Lona kanye igama layo lisho ukuthi “ikhaya lamafu.” Kodwa kungani sekuyisikhathi eside kangaka iCherrapunji ibhekwa njengenye yezindawo ezinemvula eningi kunazo zonke emhlabeni? Ake sithathe uhambo olufushane siye kule ndawo ethakazelisayo eyisimangaliso semvelo.a

Uhambo lwethu luqala eShillong, inhloko-dolobha yesifundazwe saseMeghalaya. Sithatha ibhasi lezivakashi silibangise eningizimu. Njengoba sidlula emagqumeni amahle nasezimfundeni ezivulekile, siyaqaphela ukuthi liguqubele phambili, okusikhumbuza ngokushesha ukuthi liyafaneleka igama elithi Meghalaya.

Umgwaqo esihamba ngawo uwumqansa futhi umazombezombe onqenqemeni lwewa eliphakeme elimbozwe yizihlahla. Kunezimpophoma eziphakeme, ezigelezela emfuleni othubeleza kulesi sigodi. Lapho ibhasi lethu lima eMawkdok, sibona amafu akhasa phezu kwamagquma. Kungazelelwe amboza yonke indawo kodwa aphinde asuke ngokushesha ukuze liphenye. Okwesikhashana, nathi sisitshekelwa yinkungu emboza kungabonakali lutho. Kodwa ngokushesha amafu ayasuka, futhi ilanga likhanyisa indawo enhle esiyibonayo.

ICherrapunji ingamamitha angu-1 300 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle. Lapho sifika edolobheni, libalele, futhi akekho ophethe isambulela. Yithina zivakashi kuphela esihlomele imvula! Pho, lina nini?

Izindawo ezishisayo ziba nezimvula ezinkulu lapho ilanga lishisa amanzi amaningi asezingxenyeni zolwandle ezifudumele. Lapho imimoya enomswakama evela e-Indian Ocean ifika emagqumeni angaseningizimu eziNtabeni zaseHimalaya futhi ikhuphuka, yehlisa izihlambi zemvula. Ithafa laseMeghalaya lithola eningi yale mvula. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kubonakala sengathi njengoba le ndawo ephakeme ithola ilanga elikhiph’ umkhovu etsheni emini, amafu emvula ayenyuka amboze ithafa kuze kube yilapho umoya usuphola kusihlwa. Lokhu kungenzeka kuyisizathu esenza ukuba imvula ine kakhulu ebusuku.

Phakathi no-July 1861, iCherrapunji yathola imvula engamasentimitha angu-930! Futhi kwana imvula engamasentimitha angu-2 646 phakathi nenkathi yezinyanga ezingu-12 kusukela ngo-August 1, 1860 kuya ku-July 31, 1861. Namuhla, ngokwesilinganiso, lina izinsuku ezingu-180 onyakeni eCherrapunji. Lina kakhulu kusukela ngo-June kuya ku-September. Njengoba ngokuvamile lina ebusuku, izivakashi zingajabulela ukubona indawo ngaphandle kokunethwa yimvula.

Kunzima ukukholelwa ukuthi njengoba lina kangaka, le ndawo ingantula amanzi. Nokho, ngokuvamile kuba njalo phakathi nezinyanga zasebusika. Lezi zimvula ezinamandla ziphelelaphi? Ngenxa yokugawulwa kwamahlathi okukhulu ngaphandle nje kwaseCherrapunji, amanzi amaningi emvula ageleza esuka ethafeni eliphakeme, agcwalise imifula yalesi sigodi, egelezela ngokuyinhloko eBangladesh. Kuhlongozwa ukwakhiwa kwamadamu kule mifula. Kodwa ngokwenkosi yesizwe saseMawsynram, uG. S. Malngiang, “akukenziwa mizamo eqotho yokuxazulula le nkinga yamanzi.”

Ngokuqinisekile, ukuvakashela eCherrapunji bekuthakazelisa futhi kufundisa. Yeka ukuthi le ndawo iwumbukwane omuhle kanjani! Kunezimbali ezinhle, kuhlanganise nezinhlobo ezingaba ngu-300 zama-orchid nohlobo olungavamile lwe-pitcher plant edla izinambuzane, etholakala kule ndawo kuphela emhlabeni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunezilwane ezihlukahlukene zasendle umuntu angazibona, futhi kunemihume yegwadle kanye namadwala ezikhumbuzo umuntu angawahlola. Amapulazi amakhulu amawolintshi kule ndawo akhiqiza izithelo eziconsisa amathe futhi avula nethuba lokukhiqizwa kompe lwamawolintshi olungokwemvelo olwehl’ esiphundu. Konke lokhu izivakashi zingakubona eMeghalaya, “ikhaya lamafu” naseCherrapunji, enye yezindawo ezinemvula eningi kunazo zonke emhlabeni.

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

INDIA

Cherrapunji

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Izimpophoma zigelezela emfuleni othubeleza kulesi sigodi

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Lolu hlobo lwe-“pitcher plant” edla izinambuzane lutholakala kule ndawo kuphela emhlabeni

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Photograph by Matthew Miller