The story of the Mountain Slamet Water Tunnel Warrior who faithfully guarded for the villagers

The darkness of the day did not prevent Kusnanto (60) and Agus Salim (48) from cleaning the water tunnel from the rocks, tree stems and leaves that entered it. Photo: Arbi Anugrah

BANYUMAS - Mount Slamet stores a lot of natural wealth, one of which is the water used by the people on the southern slope of the second highest mountain in Central Java. However, the abundant natural wealth could not be fully exploited by the community on the mountain slopes.

There is a tunnel to transport water from the flow of the Logawa River. 

The water tunnel was named Tirtapala or the community around it often referred to as the Sanbasri water tunnel which has a length of 550 meters and is located in the Windusari Grumbul, Kalisalak Village, Kedungbanteng, Banyumas. 

The darkness of the day did not prevent Kusnanto (60) and Agus Salim (48) from cleaning the water tunnel from the rocks, tree stems and leaves that entered it. Equipped with boot shoes, golok and lighting lights attached to their heads, they also walked through the darkness of the hallway filled with the sound of water. All this was done to preserve the livelihoods of the residents of the six villages living at the foot of Mount Slamet.

The two robust men are believed to take care of the water tunnels ranging from the 550-meter hole to the irrigation channel that flows through the village for two kilometers. Not without challenges, in addition to being dark and being a frog nest, their job is also full of risks, even betting their lives. The water tunnels with a height of about two meters and a width of 80 centimeters are potentially slippery and the thickness of unshakable currents can also drag them.

"As far as I know, the difficulty is that if there is a collapse, it's not the whole tunnel because there are those windows. So, if there is a spill that can enter, no heavy work there, must be crushed, should be discarded until the water journey is smooth," Kusnanto told reporters some time ago.

Kusnanto and Agus Salim have been trusted by the Kalisalak Village for the last six years to care for this historic tunnel. Conventionally, the water tunnel was built in ways and tools that were still simple between 1949 and 1956 by eight people.

This tunnel has indeed been great because it has lived the agricultural sector in the six villages located beneath it. However, many people still don’t know where the source of the water has survived them. In fact, the water source is also commercially controlled by the provision of drinking water and sanitation based on the community. (Pamsimas). 

With a salary of Rp 350 thousand per person estimated by the Kalisalak Village, Kusnanto and Agus Salim remain honestly carrying out the task of keeping the historic tunnel.

“Al paid a little, but I’m honest, I took care of the Sanbasri irrigation channel along that for the needs of a lot of people, I consider worship. In my mind, two people are trusting the village to continue the struggle - the struggles of the former people who crossed the hillside of the stone arranged until now, I included continuing the fight," he said.

Regarding the routine schedule of the tunnel cleaning, Agus Salim explained that he and Kusnanto never determined the time. Obviously, they will do checks up to four times a week. All this is determined by weather factors and barriers that hinder the course of the waterways.  

“Therefore, if there is a disaster, I remain focused on the water channel, there is anything in the tunnel that blocks the water path, I must enter the same Mr. Kus, I clean up inside. The feeling of was-was must be there, our name is in the ground, there must be a Was-was,” said Agus.

Agus also tells us that once, there was a large wooden rod that was brought from the Logawa River when a great flood entered. The wood blocks the water channels. Agus and Kusnanto don’t want to move it. Of course this is not an easy thing because the wooden rod is almost filling the tunnel.

“I’m the same Mr. Kus, but his position can’t shake up and can't stand, so scratch out the large wooden rod. Not cut, because there is a stone, the stone is tight, and it has to be removed," he said.

Not only that, the danger they were always aware of also happened. In that case, the heavy rain swept the river. This makes the soil amblas so that the flow of water is stalled. Without time, these two middle-aged men stayed through the night and went into the woods to check out.

"At that night, because there was a dust in the middle of the tunnel, the position of the water from above was automatically larger (due to the rain above), but the water did not get here, because it was blocked. The water formed a turmoil, not knowing where it was lost, entered the soil as if it had ever happened," he said.

In addition to being the guard of the water flow of the Tirtapala tunnel, they both work daily as rubber saucers for damar trees. In at least half a month, Kusnanto and Agus Salim could conclude about one quintal of rubber damar with a fee of around Rp 300 thousand.

The long history of the construction of the tunnel of the water canal did not pass away from a figure whose name was named as the tunnel, Sanbasri. Its name is given because it is heard is a figure who has the idea to build a water channel tunnel so that it can be by the villagers.