'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.