Ngobusuku Bangaphambi Kokufa: Amadolobha Acwiliswe Engcoleni

Ezigabeni zokuqala zeNguquko Yezimboni phakathi nekhulu le-19, amadolobha amakhulu njengeLondon neParis abhekana nokukhula okukhulu kwenani labantu, kuyilapho ingqalasizinda yasemadolobheni yaqhubeka isetshenziswa kakhulu phakathi nenkathi ephakathi. Imfucuza yabantu, amanzi angcolile asekhaya, kanye nemfucuza yasezindaweni zokuhlatshwa yayivame ukulahlwa emiseleni evulekile noma ngqo emifuleni eseduze. Ukuhlaselwa “kwamadoda asebenzisa inhlabathi yasebusuku” kwavela ukuze kususwe imfucuza, kodwa okuningi kwalokho ababekuqoqa kwakulahlwa nje phansi komfula.

Ngaleso sikhathi, uMfula iThames wawungumthombo oyinhloko wamanzi okuphuza eLondon kanye nendle yawo enkulu kunazo zonke evulekile. Izidumbu zezilwane, udoti obolayo, kanye nendle yabantu kwakuntanta emfuleni, kubila futhi kuphuphuma ngaphansi kwelanga. Izakhamuzi ezicebile zazivame ukubilisa amanzi azo ngaphambi kokuphuza, noma ziwashintshe ngobhiya noma utshwala, kuyilapho abantu abaphansi babengenakukhetha ngaphandle kokuphuza amanzi omfula angalashwanga.

Ama-Catalyst: Iphunga Elibi Kakhulu kanye neMephu Yokufa

Unyaka ka-1858 waba uphawu loshintsho olukhulu ngokugqashuka “kweNkathazo Enkulu”. Ihlobo elishisayo ngendlela engavamile lasheshisa ukubola kwezinto eziphilayo eThames, lakhipha umusi omkhulu we-hydrogen sulphide owamboza iLondon futhi waze wangena ngisho nasezindlini zePhalamende. Abenzi bomthetho baphoqeleka ukumboza amafasitela ngendwangu ecwiliswe nge-lime, futhi izinqubo zephalamende zacishe zamiswa.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, uDkt. John Snow wayehlanganisa “imephu yakhe yokufa kwekholera” edumile manje. Ngesikhathi sokuqubuka kwekholera ngo-1854 esifundeni saseSoho eLondon, uSnow wenza uphenyo oluya endlini ngendlu futhi walandelela iningi labashonile empompini yamanzi yomphakathi eyodwa eBroad Street. Ephikisana nombono owawukhona, wasusa isibambo sephampu, okwathi ngemva kwalokho ukuqubuka kwekholera kwaphela kakhulu.

Zonke lezi zenzakalo zembule iqiniso elifanayo: ukuxubana kwamanzi angcolile namanzi okuphuza kwakubangela ukufa kwabantu abaningi. “Ithiyori ye-miasma” evelele, eyayithi izifo zisakazwa ngomoya ongcolile, yaqala ukulahlekelwa ukwethembeka. Ubufakazi obusekela ukudluliswa kwamanzi banda kancane kancane, futhi emashumini eminyaka alandela, kancane kancane bashintsha ithiyori ye-miasma.

Isimangaliso Sobunjiniyela: Ukuzalwa Kwesonto Elingaphansi Komhlaba

Ngemva kwe-Great Stink, iLondon yaphoqeleka ukuba ithathe isinyathelo. USir Joseph Bazalgette waphakamisa uhlelo olukhulu: ukwakha amakhilomitha angu-132 emisele yamanzi angcolile eyakhiwe ngezitini emaceleni omabili oMfula iThames, ukuqoqa amanzi angcolile kulo lonke idolobha bese ewayisa empumalanga ukuze achithelwe eBeckton.

Lo msebenzi omkhulu, owaqedwa iminyaka eyisithupha (1859-1865), waqasha izisebenzi ezingaphezu kuka-30,000 futhi wasebenzisa izitini ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-300. Imigudu eqediwe yayinkulu ngokwanele ukuba izinqola ezidonswa amahhashi zidlule kuyo futhi kamuva yabizwa ngokuthi “ama-cathedral angaphansi komhlaba” enkathini kaVictoria. Ukuqedwa kohlelo lwendle lwaseLondon kwaphawula ukusungulwa kwezimiso zanamuhla zokukhipha amanzi kamasipala – ukusuka ekuthembeleni ekuxubeni kwemvelo kuya ekuqoqweni okusebenzayo kanye nokuhanjiswa okulawulwayo kokungcola.

Ukuvela Kokwelashwa: Kusukela Ekudluliselweni Kuya Ekuhlanzweni

Kodwa-ke, ukudluliselwa okulula kwamane kwashintsha inkinga. Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-19, ubuchwepheshe bokuqala bokwelapha amanzi angcolile baqala ukubonakala:

Ngo-1889, kwakhiwa isitshalo sokuqala sokwelapha amanzi amdaka emhlabeni esisebenzisa imvula yamakhemikhali eSalford, e-UK, kusetshenziswa usawoti we-lime ne-iron ukuze kuhlaliswe izinto eziqinile ezilengayo.

Ngo-1893, i-Exeter yethula isihlungi sokuqala sezinto eziphilayo, ifafaza amanzi angcolile phezu kwemibhede yamatshe achotshoziwe lapho amafilimu ezinto eziphilayo ona khona izinto eziphilayo. Lolu hlelo lwaba yisisekelo sobuchwepheshe bokwelapha izinto eziphilayo.

Ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20, abacwaningi eLawrence Experiment Station eMassachusetts babona udaka olune-flocculent, olucebile ngamagciwane lukhula ngesikhathi sokuhlolwa komoya okuqhubeka isikhathi eside. Lokhu kutholwa kwembule amandla amangalisayo okuhlanza imiphakathi yamagciwane futhi, phakathi neminyaka eyishumi eyalandela, kwavela inqubo yodaka olusebenzayo oludumile manje.

Ukuvuka: Kusukela Elungelweni Eliphezulu Kuya Elungelweni Lomphakathi

Uma sibheka emuva kulesi sikhathi sokwakheka, kuvela izinguquko ezintathu eziyisisekelo:

Ekuqondeni, kusukela ekuboneni iphunga elibi njengento nje ephazamisayo kuya ekuboneni amanzi angcolile njengombangela wesifo esibulalayo;

Ngomthwalo wemfanelo, kusukela ekukhishweni komuntu ngamunye kuya ekuziphenduleni komphakathi okuholwa nguhulumeni;

Kwezobuchwepheshe, kusukela ekukhishweni okungenamsebenzi kuya ekuqoqweni nasekuphathweni okusebenzayo.

Imizamo yokuqala yokuguqula izinto yayivame ukuqhutshwa yizicukuthwane ezazihlushwa ngqo yiphunga elibi - amalungu ephalamende laseLondon, osomabhizinisi baseManchester, kanye nezikhulu zikamasipala waseParis. Kodwa lapho sekucacile ukuthi ikholera ayibandlululi ngokwezigaba, nokuthi ukungcola ekugcineni kwabuyela etafuleni lawo wonke umuntu, izinhlelo zamanzi angcolile zomphakathi zayeka ukuba ukukhetha okuhle futhi zaba yimfuneko yokusinda.

Ama-Echoes: Uhambo Olungaqediwe

Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20, isizukulwane sokuqala sezitshalo zokuhlanza amanzi amdaka saqala ukusebenza, ikakhulukazi sikhonza amadolobha amakhulu emazweni anezimboni. Nokho, ingxenye enkulu yabantu bomhlaba wonke yayisaphila ngaphandle kwendle eyisisekelo. Noma kunjalo, isisekelo esibalulekile sase sibekiwe: impucuko ayichazwa nje kuphela ngekhono layo lokukhiqiza ingcebo, kodwa nangomthwalo wayo wemfanelo wokuphatha imfucuza yayo.

Namuhla, simi emakamelweni okulawula akhanyayo futhi ahlelekile, sibuka idatha igeleza ezikrinini zedijithali, kunzima ukucabanga ngephunga elibi elalikhona eThames eminyakeni eyi-160 eyedlule. Kodwa-ke kwakuyileyo nkathi, eyayiphawulwe ukungcola nokufa, eyabangela ukuvuka kokuqala kwesintu ebudlelwaneni baso namanzi angcolile - ukushintsha kusuka ekukhuthazeleni okungenamsebenzi kuya ekubuseni okusebenzayo.

Zonke izikhungo zokuhlanza amanzi amdaka zesimanje ezisebenza kahle namuhla ziyaqhubeka nale nguquko yobunjiniyela eyaqala enkathini yeVictorian. Kusikhumbuza ukuthi ngemuva kwendawo ehlanzekile kukhona ukuthuthuka okuqhubekayo kwezobuchwepheshe kanye nomuzwa ohlala njalo womthwalo wemfanelo.

Umlando usebenza njengombhalo ongezansi wentuthuko. Kusukela emiseleni yamanzi eLondon kuya ezindaweni zokuhlanza amanzi ezihlakaniphile zanamuhla, ubuchwepheshe buye bashintsha kanjani isiphetho samanzi angcolile? Esahlukweni esilandelayo, sizobuyela esikhathini samanje, sigxile ezinseleleni ezisebenzayo kanye nemingcele yezobuchwepheshe yokususwa kwamanzi odaka lukamasipala, futhi sihlole ukuthi onjiniyela besimanje baqhubeka kanjani nokubhala amakhasi amasha kulolu hambo olungapheli lokuhlanza.