Waduk Sermo (The human-lake of Sermo)
(Written by Yusan Prasetyo)
Now, I’m going to talk about the human-lake or we call it as ‘Waduk’ in Indonesian. It’s near my house, only 5 kilometers, it located in Hargowilis, Kokap, Kulon Progo, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Located in the central of Kulon Progo region, Waduk Sermo is the biggest human-lake in Yogyakarta. It’s only 7 kms from the central city of Kulon Progo; Wates and about 40 kms from Yogyakarta. It’s surrounded by mountain and a river named Kali Canggah. It was open by the second president of Indonesia Mr. Soeharto at 20 November 1996, one year after I born. It spent twenty billion and it was made until two years and eight month. The system of making progress of Waduk Sermo was “Bedhol Desa”. 100 of head-families transmigrated to Tak Toi Bengkulu and in about 7 head-families to oil palm plantage, Riau. The aim of making this lake is to irrigation and water reseve for farmers and people around Waduk Sermo.
You can go to Waduk Sermo by angkot or ride your own bike. I recommended to ride along Waduk Sermo trip along 21 kms, you can find so many beautiful views such as waterfall, mountain, the green grass and hills. Beside that, if you feel hungry or thirsty, you can buy food in food court which you can find in people village near the Waduk.
The visitors and tourists can also fish near the barrage or ride a boat. But recently, the amount of fish is decrease because of red devil fish, the cannibal fish which eat other fishes in Waduk Sermo. It’s prohibited to swim in Waduk Sermo. The air in Waduk Sermo is still fresh and the view is still nature. You will never disturbed by car voices or smog.
Waduk Sermo has some mysteries and myths. Before it’s making, Waduk Sermo was a village. As you kmow on a village, there are houses, office, mosque, school, field and cemetery. It’s all sank by water after the Kali Canggah barrage was open. It’s one day, Waduk Sermo was drained. The water was down. People around Waduk Sermo is shocked by the appeared of houses which sank after some years. And if you go to the bridge, people believe what’s under the bridge is a cemetery.
You can find an asphalt road and former guardhouse building in one side in Waduk Sermo, the road is down to the water because many years ago before Waduk Sermo, it’s a road to the village. My friends who live in near the Waduk ever said that there were elementary and senior high school there which sank by the water. And the most pity is the corpses in cemetery were never be moved.
The other stories of Waduk Sermo is when the rain comes. The people near the waduk believe that it’s prohibited to play or doing something near the waduk when it rain. The water color in waduk changed into dark-green when its rain, it means Waduk Sermo need a “Tumbal”. But only the “sesepuh” in Waduk Sermo who knows the changed of water. There were many victims in Waduk Sermo who died lost or found. But back to logical thinking that they died because they swim in Waduk Sermo so it’s really dangerous swim in the waduk. Waduk Sermo has form like a monster. When you see the waduk from the air (above) but don’t worry, you can see it from the internet because there was visitor who captured it from the above.
The entry fee IDR 3000/Car , IDR 2000/Bike, IDR 1000/ Bus
“Tulisan ini dibuat untuk mengikuti Bidikmisi Blog Award di Universitas Negeri Semarang. Tulisan adalah karya saya sendiri dan bukan jiplakan.”
