Umthombo wamanzi ophukile ukhipha amanzi emoyeni emgwaqweni eMontreal, ngoLwesihlanu, mhla ziyi-16 kuNcwaba 2024, okubangele izikhukhula emigwaqweni eminingana yendawo.
I-MONTREAL — Cishe izindlu zaseMontreal ezingu-150,000 zibekwe ngaphansi kweseluleko samanzi abilayo ngoLwesihlanu ngemuva kokuba umgudu wamanzi ophukile uqhume waba “i-geyser” eyaguqula imigwaqo yaba imifudlana, yaphazamisa ithrafikhi futhi yaphoqa abantu ukuba baphume ezakhiweni ezigcwele amanzi.
UMeya waseMontreal uValérie Plante uthe izakhamuzi eziningi empumalanga yedolobha zivuke cishe ngo-6 ekuseni zibhekene nabacishi bomlilo ababanxusa ukuba baphume emakhaya abo ngenxa yezingozi zezikhukhula ezivela emthonjeni wamanzi ongaphansi komhlaba owaphuka eduze kwebhuloho iJacques Cartier.
Ofakazi bathi ngesikhathi imvula ishisa kakhulu, “udonga lwamanzi” oluphakeme ngamamitha ayi-10 lwaluqhume phansi, lwagcwala indawo enabantu abaningi. Izakhamuzi zagqoka amabhuzu enjoloba zangena emanzini ayegeleza emigwaqweni futhi zagcwala ezindaweni ezihlanganayo phakathi namahora angaba mahlanu nesigamu okwathatha ukuvimba ukugeleza ngokuphelele.
Ngo-11:45 ekuseni isimo "sasilawulwa," kusho uPlante, kanti umqondisi wezinsizakalo zamanzi edolobheni uthe abasebenzi bakwazile ukuvala ivalvu ngakho ukucindezela emgodini wamanzi kwakwehla. Kodwa-ke, idolobha likhiphe iseluleko samanzi abilayo esasimboze ingxenye enkulu yengxenye esenyakatho-mpumalanga yesiqhingi.
“Izindaba ezinhle ukuthi konke sekulawulekile,” kusho uPlante. “Kuzodingeka silungise ipayipi, kodwa asisenawo amanzi afanayo (emgwaqweni) njengoba besinawo ekuseni namhlanje … futhi njengesinyathelo sokuqapha, kuzoba neseluleko sokuvimbela amanzi abilayo.”
Ngaphambilini ngalolo suku, izikhulu zithe ngenxa yokuphindaphindeka kwenethiwekhi yamapayipi edolobheni angamakhilomitha angu-4,000, azikho izinkinga zokuphepha ngamanzi okuphuza esifundeni esigcwele amanzi. Kodwa cishe ngemva kwehora, bathi baqaphele ukwehla kwengcindezi yamanzi engxenyeni yenethiwekhi futhi bafuna ukuhlola amasampula amanzi ukuze baqiniseke ukuthi azikho izinkinga.
Izikhulu, ezichaze ukuthi i-asphalt kanye nokhonkolo ngaphezu kwengxenye ephukile yepayipi kuzodingeka kumbiwe ngaphambi kokuba bazi ukuthi inkinga inkulu kangakanani, kusho umthombo wezikhukhula.
ULyman Zhu uthe wavuka ezwa lokho okwakuzwakala “njengemvula enkulu” kwathi lapho ebheka ngefasitela lakhe wabona “udonga lwamanzi” olwalungamamitha ayi-10 ukuphakama kanye nobubanzi bomgwaqo. “Kwakuyinto exakile,” esho.
UMaxime Carignan Chagnon uthe “udonga olukhulu lwamanzi” lwachichima cishe amahora amabili. Amanzi agelezayo “ayenamandla kakhulu,” esho, eshaya njengoba eshaya izigxobo zezibani nezihlahla. “Bekumangalisa ngempela.”
Uthe cishe amamitha amabili amanzi aqoqene engaphansi kwendlu yakhe.
“Ngizwe ukuthi abanye abantu babenokuningi kakhulu,” ephawula.
UMartin Guilbault, inhloko yesigaba somnyango womlilo waseMontreal, uthe abantu kufanele bahlale kude nendawo ekhungethwe yizikhukhula kuze kube yilapho iziphathimandla zivumela ukuthi babuye.
“Ukuthi nje amanzi mancane akusho ukuthi umsebenzi usuphelile,” esho, echaza ukuthi izingxenye zemigwaqo zingase zonakaliswe futhi ziphume ngenxa yawo wonke amanzi athululelwe phezu kwazo.
Izikhulu zomlilo azizange zinikeze inani eliqondile labantu abasusiwe, zitshela izintatheli ukuthi amaqembu avakashele zonke izakhiwo ezithintekile futhi aqinisekisa ukuthi wonke umuntu uphephile. UGuilbault uthe ngaphambi nje kwemini ukuthi abacishi bomlilo babesangena endlini ngendlu, bekhipha amanzi angaphansi komhlaba. Uthe base bevakashele amakheli ayi-100 ayenezimbobo zamanzi ngaleso sikhathi, kodwa kwezinye izimo amanzi ayesemagaraji okupaka hhayi emafulethini.
Izikhulu zedolobha zithi iRed Cross ihlangana nezakhamuzi ezithintekile futhi inikeza izinsiza kulabo abangakwazi ukubuyela emakhaya ngokushesha.
Umnyango wezokuthutha amanzi waseQuebec unciphise ugesi endaweni ethintekile njengesinyathelo sokuqapha, okwashiya amakhasimende angaba ngu-14,000 engenawo ugesi.
Ukuvalwa kwamanzi kuza njengoba abantu abaningi eMontreal naseQuebec yonke besahlanza izindlu zangaphansi ezigcwele amanzi ngemuva kokuba izingxenye zesifundazwe zihlaselwe yimvula efinyelela kumamilimitha angu-200 ngoLwesihlanu olwedlule.
UNdunankulu uFrançois Legault ukuqinisekisile ngoLwesihlanu ukuthi isifundazwe sizokwandisa uhlelo lwaso losizo lwezezimali lwezisulu zenhlekelele ukuze lubandakanye abantu abamakhaya abo agcwala amanzi ngesikhathi imisele yabo ibuyela emuva ngesikhathi sesiphepho, kunokuba kuncishiswe ukufaneleka komonakalo obangelwe yizikhukhula zomhlaba.
UNgqongqoshe Wezokuphepha Komphakathi uFrançois Bonnardel utshele izintatheli eMontreal ukuthi isimo siyathuthuka ngemuva kwezikhukhula zangesonto eledlule, kodwa kusadingeka ukuthi kulungiswe imigwaqo engu-20 kanti abantu abangu-36 basala besusiwe emakhaya abo.
Singahlinzeka ngezinzwa zejubane lokugeleza kwamanzi eradar ezimweni ezahlukahlukene ezifana namanethiwekhi amapayipi angaphansi komhlaba, iziteshi ezivulekile kanye nama-DAMS, ukuze ukwazi ukuqapha idatha ngesikhathi sangempela.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Agasti-19-2024