Ukuchitheka kwe-Sundarban: Imihlume namahlengethwa asengozini

NguMark J. Spalding, uMongameli

NgoLwesibili ekuseni, sivukele izindaba ezimbi mayelana nengozi yomkhumbi emanzini e-Bangladesh. I-Southern Star-7, umkhumbi wamathangi wawushayisane nomunye umkhumbi futhi umphumela waba ukuchitheka kukawoyela wesithando esibalelwa ku-92,000. Ukuthutha emzileni kwamiswa futhi umkhumbi ocwile wadonselwa ethekwini ngempumelelo ngoLwesine, kwamisa ukuchitheka okwengeziwe. Kodwa-ke, uwoyela oputshukile uyaqhubeka nokusabalala kwenye yezindawo zemvelo ezibaluleke kakhulu zesifunda, uhlelo lwehlathi lomhlume ogwini olwaziwa ngokuthi amaSundarbans, iNdawo Yamagugu Omhlaba ye-UNESCO kusukela ngo-1997 kanye nendawo ethandwa izivakashi.  

Eduze ne-Bay of Bengal e-Indian Ocean, i-Sundarbans iyindawo enqamula i-Ganges, i-Brahmaputra kanye ne-Meghna river deltas, eyakha ihlathi lomhlume elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni. Kuyikhaya lezilwane ezingavamile njengengwe yaseBengal nezinye izilwane ezisongelwa njengamahlengethwa omfula (Irawaddy neGanges) nezinhlwathi zaseNdiya. I-Bangladesh yamisa izindawo ezivikelwe amahlengethwa ngo-2011 lapho izikhulu zithola ukuthi ama-Sundarbans aphethe inani elikhulu kunawo wonke elaziwayo lamahlengethwa ase-Irawaddy. Imikhumbi yezentengiselwano yavalwa emanzini ngasekupheleni kwawo-1990 kodwa uhulumeni wayevumele ukuvulwa kabusha kwesikhashana komzila wangaphambili wemikhumbi kulandela ukuchithwa kodaka komunye umzila ngo-2011.

Amahlengethwa e-Irawaddy akhula aze afike kumafidi ayisishiyagalombili ubude. Angamahlengethwa aluhlaza-grey angenamlomo anekhanda eliyindilinga kanye nokudla okuyizinhlanzi. Zihlobene eduze ne-orca futhi yizona hlengethwa kuphela ezaziwa ngokukhafula ngenkathi zidla futhi zihlanganyela. Ngaphandle kokuphepha kwemikhumbi, izinsongo eziya e-Irawaddy zifaka phakathi ukubanjwa kwezimpahla zokudoba kanye nokulahlekelwa indawo yokuhlala ngenxa yentuthuko yabantu kanye nokukhuphuka kwezinga lolwandle.  

Namuhla ekuseni, sifunde ku-BBC, ukuthi “umphathi wesikhulu sechweba sendawo utshele izintatheli ukuthi abadobi bazosebenzisa ‘izipontshi namasaka’ ukuze baqoqe uwoyela ochithekile, osesabalele endaweni engamakhilomitha angu-80.” Nakuba kubikwa ukuthi iziphathimandla zithumela abahlakazayo kule ndawo, akucaci nakancane ukuthi ukusebenzisa amakhemikhali kuzozuzisa amahlengethwa, imihlume, noma ezinye izilwane ezihlala kulesi simiso esicebile. Eqinisweni, uma kubhekwa idatha evelayo evela enhlekeleleni ye-Deepwater Horizon yango-2010 eGulf of Mexico, siyazi ukuthi ama-disperants anemiphumela eyingozi yesikhathi eside empilweni yasolwandle, futhi ngaphezu kwalokho, angaphazamisa ukuwohloka kwemvelo kukawoyela emanzini. , eqinisekisa ukuthi ihlale phansi olwandle futhi ingavuswa iziphepho.

Sonke siyazi ukuthi amakhemikhali kawoyela (okuhlanganisa imikhiqizo efana negesi noma udizili) angabulala izitshalo nezilwane, kuhlanganise nabantu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukugcoba izinyoni zasolwandle nezinye izilwane zasolwandle kunganciphisa amandla azo okulawula izinga lokushisa lomzimba, okuholela ekufeni. Ukukhipha uwoyela ngamabhomu nezinye izindlela kuyisu elilodwa. Ukusebenzisa ama-chemical dispersants kungenye.