Former chairman of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Enugu Branch, Chigbo Obealor, has identified widespread use of concrete and interlocking stones in residential compounds as a major contributor to flooding and the depletion of groundwater across many communities.

He spoke in Enugu after he was honoured by women of the Nibo Community, Enugu branch, for his contributions to community development and professional excellence.

The engineer said the growing trend of paving the entire residential compounds with concrete prevented rainwater from naturally seeping into the soil, thereby increasing surface runoff that eventually resulted in flooding.

He said: “Many people may not know this, but landscaping of residential areas has caused a lot of damage to groundwater. Imagine if about 60 per cent of Enugu is covered with concrete. There will be no percolation, and all the rainwater will flow straight into rivers and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean.”

He explained that natural infiltration of rainwater into the ground is essential for replenishing underground water reservoirs, stressing that the current practice has significantly reduced aquifer recharge.

“The water is supposed to be absorbed into the soil and retained for future use through boreholes and other sources. Today, the aquifer level in Enugu is dropping at a very alarming rate because that natural process has been disrupted,” he said.

Obealor noted that the challenge was not limited to Enugu, saying many urban communities across the country had embraced excessive concrete landscaping without considering its environmental consequences.

Drawing a comparison with developed countries, he said residential buildings abroad were designed to preserve green areas that allowed rainwater to infiltrate the soil naturally.

“If you build a house abroad, you don’t cement the entire compound. You leave green areas. That has been part of the environmental discipline that we have neglected here,” he said.

The former NSE chairman urged town planning authorities to enforce building regulations that require property owners to preserve adequate green spaces within residential premises.

He recalled that older Government Reserved Areas (GRAs) in Nigeria were deliberately designed with lawns and open spaces rather than fully paved compounds.

“Go to the old GRA layouts of the 1960s and you will hardly see compounds completely covered with concrete. They were mostly green. Today, even on a 1,000-square-metre plot, everything is either interlocked or cemented. Any rainfall immediately becomes runoff because there is no retention,” he said.

Obealor further pointed to visible evidence of declining groundwater levels in parts of Enugu, noting that boreholes that once yielded abundant water now require deeper drilling because the water table has continued to fall.

He maintained that uncontrolled concrete landscaping remains one of the less recognised causes of both flooding and groundwater depletion, calling on environmental experts, engineers and town planners to intensify public awareness on the issue.

“I stand ready to defend this position anywhere. It is an issue that professionals need to explain more to the public because not many people understand its impact,” Obealor added. (The nation)

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