Evaluation of Land Capability for Housing Deveopment at Nachi Built Environment, Enugu State, Nigeria

There are criteria that certify the sustainable potentials of any built environment. Low income housing scheme proposed by Enugu state government for its workers is targeted at Nachi, Udi local government area in Enugu state, Nigeria. To assess the capability of this location for the project, site investigation and experimental design methods were adopted to measure the geo-morphological and hydrologic features and conduct laboratory tests on the basic and strength properties of the formation respectively. Findings explain that Nachi lies on the slope of 700; hence the average runoff is high. Prolific confined aquifer result to underground water potential for consumption since the formation is porous with high elevation at 221 meters. It is also discovered that the area possesses low shear strength which is capable of resisting the high shear stress measured in the soil sample of the formation. Soil plasticity is measured as 10 indicating high erodible potential. The particle size distribution of the formation is poorly sorted with high percentage of sand particles, and very low percentage of gravel, with intercalation of compressible particles in the formation. The rain intensity is measured high with very high rate of runoff potential that is capable of causing erosion on the sloppy terrain with low bearing strength. The study therefore concludes that Nachi as a proposed site for the low housing scheme is not suitable considering the fact that the initial cost involved in preparing standard foundation of the buildings and the surrounding for sustainable housing will make it exorbitant for the low income earners. Any effort to compromise doing the right things from the beginning for a sustainable housing will degenerate the housing to high maintenance culture when in use. In the absence of no other available land the study therefore recommends that edicts and official programmes be enacted and instituted respectively to curb down erosion menace in the area with standard foundation designs that will guarantee safety to the buildings effectively in the area. If the housing scheme must stand for the low income earners the government must as matter of policy subsidize the cost of the houses reasonably such that the workers in the state can easily afford them.