Saekan: Piping a way to green progress

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Madiun, East Java | Tue, 07/22/2008 10:15 AM | People

Saekan made a simple decision 36 years ago that has since changed the lives of the people in his village -- he decided to plant pucung trees around the Sanggar spring.

Now, thanks to that simple move, several springs that usually dry up during the dry season continue to produce water, and the millions of liters of water needed by the village community are now available.

Back in 1972, Padas village in Dangangan subdistrict, Madiun Regency, East Java, was a dry community with little water.

"There wasn't enough water, not even for drinking. When I first came here to live (after marrying), just getting water for a bath was difficult," Saekan told The Jakarta Post.

Not having a bath for five days was the norm back in those days, the 60-year-old said.

For many years the community met its water needs by taking water from a spring located 1 kilometer away, at the base of a ravine.

But Saekan refused to accept they had to live like that.

"I thought, 'How can people live in conditions like this? What would be the future of their children?'" he said.

Motivated by these concerns, Saekan planted pucung trees and aren (sugar palms) around the Sanggar spring -- the nearest natural spring that the community depended upon at the time.

The pucung tree, which produces kluwek (a black spice used in rawon, or beef stew) appears to have been a good choice. Apart from being a fast grower, the pucung tree's many roots are long and absorb large quantities of water, and the tree is safe from predators.

"The leaves of this tree won't be eaten by livestock because animals don't want them," Saekan said.

While waiting for the trees to grow, Saekan decided to move back to Ngrengat village, around 2 kilometers from Padas. Ten years later, in 1982, Saekan brought his family -- wife Tarmi and first son Hartono -- back to live in Padas.

Saekan saw there had been a change in the characteristics of the spring.

"There was much more water," he said.

Using his own money, Saekan made a temporary well where he could collect and hold water around the spring. He also used bamboo piping to make a channel to run the 1 kilometer from the spring to his home.

"I split the bamboo into two, and I supported it using tree branches to channel the water to my house," he said.

But although the bamboo was cheap and strong, Saekan felt it was too complicated a system to maintain. Leaves falling in the forest often blocked the bamboo channel, stopping the water from flowing. So he purchased lengths of plastic pipe.

"A long time ago, one 10-meter roll cost Rp 10,000 (US$1). I could only afford to buy 10 rolls to replace some of the bamboo channels," he said.

The quantity of water collected increased significantly, meaning Saekan's neighbors could also use the water he channeled to his home.

Although it was a simple system, it helped the residents of the village, who previously had to seek water far away.

But Saekan did not stop there.

He established a group called the Agromulyo Farmers' Group. By collecting contributions of Rp 1,000 (10 US cents) from each member, the group developed a village bank system, which later helped them buy some livestock.

The Agromulyo Farmers' Group also worked to recover the Bendo spring, located 4 kilometers from Saekan's house.

Together with the Agromulyo Farmers' Group, Saekan built a catchment to collect and hold the water at the Bendo spring. The group also planted trees around the spring with the aim of multiplying the amount of water.

Now the Padas village community depends on the two springs. The Sanggar spring, which initially could meet the needs of only three families, was developed to become a source of clean water for 13 families. After the Bendo spring was developed, it was able to supply seven families, and later 50 families.

"According to some residents, the water supply to their homes never runs out, even in the dry season," Saekan said.

Saekan's efforts in planting the area with trees to help increase the amount of water at the springs had personal rewards for him as well -- he was presented with a Kalpataru Award by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Saekan and the Argomulyo Farmers' Group were seen as rescuers of the environment, and were judged as successful in rescuing the soil and water in Padas and its surroundings.

Saekan said the Kalpataru award had made no difference to the conditions in Padas.

"There are still many facilities that need to be built, it's not just a matter of having water."

Padas has only two elementary schools. The nearest junior high school, which is in Segulung village, is 2 kilometers from the village and the nearest high school is even further away.

"There is a high school in Dagangan subdistrict, which is around 10 kilometers away. Because of this, many of our young people don't continue their education," he said.