'Cave man' finds precious water sources

'Cave man' finds precious water sources

By Gin Kurniawan

GUNUNGKIDUL, Yogyakarta (JP): Locals here call out "cave man"
when Sudiyono passes them on the streets, but it is a term of
respect for the 49-year-old.

He may only have a junior high school education but he is
considered by many to be a foremost authority on spelelelogy, the
scientific study and exploration of caves. He has explored more
than 400 underground caves, and one where he almost lost his life
has been named after him.

The father of three is revered locally for locating
underground streams in at least 30 caves. Streams in five caves
(Jomblang, Bribin, Ngobaran, Gedilan and Seropan caves) are now
invaluable water sources for 238,000 locals in the subdistricts
of Ponjong, Semanu, Karangmojo and Gunungkidul. Masses of water
flow through the Seropan cave, near the border between the Semanu
and Tepus subdistricts, at a rate of 1,500 liters a second. But
only a fraction of this has been exploited.

"He is our god of mercy," said Atmo, a resident of Pojong,
which was once hit by a severe water shortage.

Water shortages are frequent in Gunungkidul. This area of
about 800 square kilometers is a dry, hilly region dominated by
deposits of quartz, which can be used to make high-quality
limestone. In the dry season, nothing grows on this parched land.

In the 1970s, distended stomachs, a telling sign of
malnutrition, were common there. Many locals chose to leave for
Jakarta and other cities to earn a living.

Sudiyono was indeed the savior. With special ropes and other
climbing gear, Sudiyono climbed down into caves believed to
contain water. He carefully measured the depth of the caves, the
position of underground streams and the flow of water.

Heavy-duty machinery drilled from the surface of each cave
down into the earth. Thanks to the precision of Sudiyono's
measurements, the drill points landed right over the stream. Long
rubber hoses, sometimes about 300 metres in length, were fed down
the drilled hole. Then Sudiyono went down again to fix a
waterproof pump at the end of the hose.

A diesel engine pumped the water up to several large concrete
tanks, from which it was piped to local's houses.

"I was overwhelmed with pride when I found the water,"
admitted Sudiyono.

Sudiyono has been intimate with caves since his childhood,
when he lived near caves. However, he now goes down caves for
humanitarian missions; to find water. Something unforgettable
happened to Sudiyono in his youth when there was a long drought.
He watched a child put its mouth below a water tank to catch
dripping water.

"Since then it has been my ambition to find water for the
people of Gunungkidul," said Sudiyono, now a civil servant at the
Underground Water Development Project of the Yogyakarta public
works regional office. He is a low-level civil servant in the I-B
service category.

Before becoming a professional potholer, Sudiyono used to be a
construction worker in Jakarta. He was also once employed in the
monitoring division of the state-owned radio station RRI. He
nevertheless eventually returned to his village and worked as a
truck driver.

In 1980 something changed his life. A friend asked him to work
for McDonald and Partners, British irrigation consultants who
were contracted for a project in Gunungkidul. He first joined the
secretariat and was then transferred to another division to work
as a field survey assistant. His hidden talent as a potholer
blossomed. He was provided with the rudiments of underground cave
explorations: from how to use climbing gear down to how to
explore underground caves safely. He then began to explore caves
to examine their water content.

Two years later, he joined a team from the British Cave
Research Association (BCRA), which was then hired by McDonald and
Partners. He was assigned not only as a guide but also as a
measuring officer. While working with the BCRA he mastered the
way to use gadgets to measure the depth of caves, the thickness
of the earth surface, the debit of a water source and other
measurements.

When McDonald and Partners and the BCRA team completed their
contract here in 1984, Sudiyono took home cave exploration
equipment as a keepsake. Only occasionally did he do jobs for the
Gunungkidul public works service, which made him a permanent
employee in 1988 assigned to explore underground caves. So he now
goes down underground caves at his own will.

"I go down caves on Saturdays and Sundays," he said.

Besides proper equipment, courage and climbing skills are
needed for those venturing into underground caves. On average,
the caves are about 150 meters underground. Cave entrances are
not always large. In some caves the entrance is only large enough
for a human body. Hesitation could cause one to slip and be
killed.

Gas traps

Apart from the risk of slipping, other risks involve floods
and lethal carbon dioxide (CO2) gas traps. Cave explorers must
carry oxygen. A special light is fixed on their heads because
caves are pitch dark.

"Unless these requirements are fulfilled, I suggest that one
should think a thousand times before deciding to enter an
underground cave," he advised.

Nevertheless, the high risk is compatible with the enjoyable
sensation of exploring an underground cave. Beautiful stalactites
and stalagmites in some caves cannot be found on the ground. If a
cave has an underground stream, various species of fresh-water
fish -- including pelus (a fresh-water eel which grows as large
as an adult's thigh) -- seem to welcome your arrival. Besides, a
cave explorer need not fear poisonous animals there because
snakes and other poisonous animals rarely exist in underground
caves.

"I savor peace in the depth of the earth," he said.

Sudiyono almost died in a cave when he was climbing down a
BCRA team. His head light broke when he was 300 metres
underground. Via radio, his colleagues told him to stay put until
an evacuation team arrived. But he was running out of oxygen.
Braving danger, he went crawled ahead in the darkness, relying
solely on instinct and the strength of his arms and legs.
Miraculously he freed himself from the claws of death. In memory
of this, the cave has been named Luweng Sudiyono (Sudiyono Cave).

"I was found at fault because I was considered too daring in
taking the risk. Finally, they understood my position. If help
arrived too late, I would have run out of oxygen and lost my
life," he said.

For his dedication to the environment, Sudiyono was awarded
the 1997 Kalpataru award (the highest recognition of conservation
work) by President Soeharto. The award was presented to him in
early June. He received a radio set as a memento from Vice
President Try Sutrisno. His office chief was so proud of
Sudiyono's achievement that he promised to give him brand-new
cave-exploration equipment.