For the past two decades, a farmer in Dali hamlet Geneng subdistrict, named Pak Sadiman (now in his 60s) from Wonogiri regency, Central Java, has been leading a campaign to replant trees. His efforts have transformed a drought-prone village into a groundwater-rich region by planting thousands of trees over the years on a nearby hill.
Since 1996, Sadiman has been on a mission to curb the severe water crisis regularly hitting the village. He’d encourage residents to plant as many trees as they could on Gendol Hill; an area located in the border zone of East and Central Java provinces on the southeastern slope of Mount Lawu.
Extensive logging activities, combined with a series of forest fires, had left the hill severely deforested, dry and barren. The extreme deforestation caused the Gendol River to dry up. That was the only source of water for the Geneng villagers. This catastrophe put residents into a severe water crisis that went on for many years.
Sadiman was first inspired to act when he was doing his job tapping rubber trees on the hill. Many of the trees weren’t producing rubber latex anymore, they were dying from dehydration. That’s when he realized how severe the water shortage was. He knew he had to revitalize the hill to rectify the situation.
He told the Jakarta Post:
I found out that many rubber trees no longer produced rubber latex. Then I realized that the water crisis was too extreme. Even the tree trunks had dried up.
At first, he used his own money to purchase tree seedlings, planting them by himself all over the hill. He was compelled to save his village from a prolonged water crisis. He planted lamtoro and banyan trees because they retain groundwater rather than absorb it.
He explained:
Unlike rubber trees that absorb groundwater, banyan trees can retain groundwater. The more banyan trees planted means; the more villagers will get clean water.
After a while, though, he couldn’t afford it. Banyan seedlings are not cheap. They cost about Rp 100,000 (US$7.10) per piece, but Sadiman didn’t give up! He began growing clove seedlings at home and would trade them for banyan seedlings, ten clove seedlings for one one-meter-high banyan seedling.
Many villagers undermined his efforts for the longest time. They all told him he was wasting his time and that what he was doing was useless. Some people even removed seedlings he had painstakingly planted on the hill. Still, he did not give up! He just went on planting seedlings.
He said:
I just wanted to see the village with reliable water sources again.
Nineteen years later, data from the Geneng subdistrict office reported that there were at least 11,000 new trees, including 4,000 banyan trees, all courtesy of Sandiman’s campaign. All these trees are spread across 100 hectares of land atop Gendol Hill, and even the neighboring Ampyangan Hill.
Now Geneng is one of the few subdistricts in the area that is not affected by a prolonged dry season. Meanwhile, 30 other subdistricts in Wonogiri are still suffering from a water crisis.
Sandiman’s persistence bore great success. Water now flows daily from the hills through pipelines, fulfilling the irrigation and water needs of around 800 families living in Geneng as well as the neighboring Conto subdistrict.
People don’t doubt him anymore! Many residents began to support his efforts. They provide free seedlings and even join him planting them on the hills.
The Geneng subdistrict chief said:
Pak Sadiman is our hero. This village used to struggle with a water crisis, but now we have an abundance of water because of him.
Suranto, the principal of SDN 2 Geneng state elementary school, added:
Pak Sadiman is a living example of sincerity, persistence and hard work. He is a common man who has a big dream to empower his society.
The campaign is far from over! Sadiman says he needs to grow around 20,000 or more additional trees on the hills. Doing so would ensure that all neighboring subdistricts get enough clean water too.
