Lapho Umfula Ugelezela Emuva Khona

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ECAMBODIA

INGABE wake wawubona umfula ogeleza ubuyele emuva? Kuthiwani ngehlathi eliba ngaphansi kwamanzi ingxenye yonyaka? Ingabe bewazi ukuthi abantu bahlala ezindlini ezintantayo okufanele zithuthwe lapho amanzi oma? Ingabe uthi “Ayinakwenzeka leyo nto”? Uma kunjalo, ungase ushintshe umqondo ngemva kokuvakashela eCambodia ngenkathi yezimvula.

Usuku ngalunye, kusukela maphakathi no-May kuze kube ngo-October, liyaguqubala bese lina kakhulu ntambama. Amanzi asibekela indawo ebiyomile nenothuli, nemifula idle izindwani.

Kungani Ugeleza Ubuyele Emuva?

Bheka ibalazwe elikulesi sithombe. Bheka indawo lapho uMfula omkhulu iMekong uhlangana khona noMfula iTonle Sap. La manzi ayahlangana futhi ngokushesha ahlukane abe uMfula iMekong kanye noMfula iBassac. Le mifula ibe isiqhubekela ngaseningizimu inqamula ezweni laseVietnam, yakhe iSizalo esikhulu saseMekong.

Ngemva kokuqala kwenkathi yezimvula, izindawo ezisezansi zalesi sizalo ziba nezikhukhula. La manzi ayizikhukhula agcwalisa imingenela eyomile ngenkathi ethile yonyaka. Njengoba inkathi yezimvula iqhubeka, uMfula iTonle Sap uyahlehla bese uqala ukugelezela ngasenyakatho, esikhundleni sokuqhubeka ngendlela evamile uye eningizimu. Kanjalo lo mfula odla izindwani ugeleza uhlehle uze uyongena eChibini laseTonle Sap.

Leli chibi lisethafeni elingaba amakhilomitha ayikhulu ukusuka ePhnom Penh, inhloko-dolobha yaseCambodia. Phakathi nenkathi eyomile, leli chibi lihlanganisa indawo engaba amakhilomitha-skwele angu-3 000. Kodwa ngenkathi yezimvula, amanzi aba maningi aze ahlanganise indawo ephindwe kane noma kahlanu kunokuvamile, okwenza leli chibi libe elikhulu kunawo wonke angenasawoti eNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia.

Izindawo okwakulinywa kuzo ilayisi, ezazinemigwaqo, izihlahla nemizana manje sekumbozwe amanzi. Abadobi, abanezikebhe ezazivame ukuntanta emanzini angaba yimitha kuphela ukujula, bahamba ngaphezu kwezihlahla emanzini ajule ngamamitha angaba yishumi! Kwezinye izindawo, lezi zikhukhula ezihlasela indawo ebanzi zibhekwa njengenhlekelele. Kodwa kubantu baseCambodia, zivame ukubhekwa njengesibusiso. Ngani?

Lapho Izikhukhula Ziba Isibusiso

UMfula iTonle Sap ogeleza uhlehle ushiya ungqimba lwenhlabathi evundile esigodini saseTonle Sap. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinhlanzi eziningi zitshuza ziyongena echibini zisuka eMfuleni iMekong bese zizalela kule ndawo enothe ngamaminerali. Empeleni, iChibi laseTonle Sap lingomunye wemithombo enothe kakhulu emhlabeni enezinhlanzi ezihlala emanzini angenawo usawoti. Ngemva kwenkathi yezimvula, amanzi aleli chibi oma ngokukhulu ukushesha kangangokuba abadobi bakwazi ukucosha izinhlanzi ezibambeke ezihlahleni!

Lezi zikhukhula zaminyaka yonke zakha isimo semvelo esimangalisayo. Izihlahla nolunye uhlaza olusendaweni enezikhukhula lukhula ngendlela ehlukile kweyezimila ezisezindaweni ezingenazo izikhukhula. Ngokuvamile, izihlahla zasezindaweni ezishisayo zikhula kancane, zivuthuluke lapho komile bese zibuye ziqhakaza ngenkathi yezimvula. Ngokuphambene, izihlahla ezisendaweni yaseTonle Sap azivuthuluki kuze kube yilapho zimbozwa amanzi ezikhukhula. Futhi esikhundleni sokuba zikhule ngokushesha lapho kunezimvula, azikhuli. Ngemva kokudamba kwamanzi nokuqala kwenkathi eyomile, amagatsha aba nemiqumbe futhi kukhule amaqabunga ngokushesha. Lapho ichibi selishile, inhlabathi iba nongqimba lohlaza oluvundile olondla izihlahla nezinye izimila phakathi nenkathi eyomile elandelayo.

Ukuhlala Emizini Enezisekelo Zezingodo Nentantayo

Kuthiwani ngabantu? Abanye abantu abahlala kuleli chibi bakha imizi yabo ezisekelweni zezingodo. Phakathi nenkathi eyomile, lezi zindlu ziphakama ngamamitha angaba yisithupha ngaphezu kwenhlabathi. Kodwa phakathi nenkathi yezikhukhula, izikebhe zokudoba kanye nezindishi zikathayela ezinkulu okuthuthwa ngazo abantwana ngezinye izikhathi ziboshelwa khona la emnyango.

Ezinye izakhamuzi zakuleli chibi zihlala ohlotsheni oluthile lwezindlu eziyizikebhe, zakha imizi yazo ezisekelweni ezintantayo. Lapho umkhaya ukhula, kunezelwa esinye isisekelo esintantayo bese kwandiswa indlu. Kunemizana entantayo engaba ngu-170 kuleli chibi.

Phakathi nosuku, abancane nabadala badoba ngezicupho nangamanetha ezinhlanzi. Njengoba izinga lamanzi linyuka noma lehla, izindlu noma wonke umzana ungase uthuthwe ngamakhilomitha ambalwa ukuze uhlale useduze nogu olusha noma usondele ezindaweni ezinezinhlanzi eziningi.

Izikebhe ezinde ziba izitolo zokuthenga ukudla noma izimakethe ezintantayo, ezidayisa izinhlobonhlobo zezinto umphakathi ozidinga nsuku zonke, zisebenze ngisho “nanjengamabhasi” okuthutha umphakathi. Izingane ezisafunda ziya esikoleni esintantayo. Konke, kusukela ezimileni kuya kubantu, kuphila ngokuvumelana nezinga lamanzi kuleli zwe lapho umfula ugeleza khona uhlehle.

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 23]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Inkathi eyomile

Inkathi yezimvula

CAMBODIA

IChibi lase-Tonle Sap

UMfula iTonle Sap

UMfula iMekong

PHNOM PENH

UMfula iBassac

ISizalo Sase-Mekong

VIETNAM

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Umfana egwedla eMfuleni iTonle Sap

[Izithombe ekhasini 23]

Izithombe zomzana ofanayo—lapho komile, nangenkathi yezimvula

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 23]

Map: Based on NASA/Visible Earth imagery; village photos: FAO/Gordon Sharpless