Growth shouldn’t disturb environment

As a global community, we live in a world of development. Since we are constantly developing, we must deal with the effects of development on society and the environment, for we cannot avoid disturbing the environment through construction and excavation. 

These developments must stand on foundations, hence excavations for installations of facilities such as buildings, cables, and ducts. Underground excavations offer a convenient and unavoidable solution, particularly for cabling, serving as an alternative to overhead installations. Many countries are increasingly adopting this method for various reasons.

Whether there are effects of these, the future needs to tell us. Otherwise, if we do not excavate the ground to install services, the environment is not bothered. Nature has been okay because the ground was not disturbed. So, for the effects of new developments involving excavations, the future will surely tell.

In the meantime, we cannot avoid the suspicion of the impacts of disturbing the undisturbed soils. For any underground installations, we need to design and install them in a way that creates harmony with the environment, society, and the ecosystem. 

This harmony is because environmental awareness is increasingly becoming a serious talking point allowing us to check the environmental impacts of projects when projects are initiated. The environmental laws and activists continue to throw their “ugly faces” at developments (ask the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project managers). 

Environmental requirements check that projects will come but should leave humanity in peace. So, underground installations are viable alternatives. Even when it is common practice, we will not avoid discussions on this common practice and its impacts on the environment. Many developments must disturb the underground for access and support. 

We conduct excavations to provide for water and power lines, oil, liquids, and gases as well as internet lines. We live in a world where the internet is considered one of the basic human rights. 

We cannot, therefore, avoid disturbing the underground. Experience in underground internet construction in many countries is not yet at an advanced age. There is suspicion that underground cabling could negatively affect the environment. We suspect because everything begins with suspicion, like a fast-spreading pandemic whose name, I refrain from mentioning. Until this suspicion is found to be true, let the debate continue. 

For example, I suspect that laying underground cables could produce some level of heat which could cause harmful effects on our crops, especially where installations have the potential of giving out heat. I suspect that, by excavating our grounds, the initially undisturbed soils become loose especially if poorly compacted. And when they are loose, they become incapable of supporting any additional weights, be it vehicular or even building weight. They thus, respond by settling. And we notice that our structures are no longer in the position that we set them to be. 

I still suspect that, by excavating the undisturbed soils and placing cables, we limit the use of space. I also suspect that underground works impact land by potentially causing soil erosion. If poorly planned, any excavation could damage already existing utility lines. These are the impacts of disturbing the ground.

So, how do we manage excavations for underground installations? These technologies are crawling into our world. Road crossings can be managed by drilling and compacting well before the installation. The micro-tunneling process can also help in the trenchless construction method. There is need to plan the safety and access requirements along these construction routes to achieve an environmentally-compatible design.

We must minimise these effects by ensuring that developments are registered, authorised, and documented. Developers should provide survey drawings or inventories of facilities that could be damaged and offer technical solutions to address potential effects.

Mr Simon J. Mone Wodobalim is a Civil Engineer.

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