Bogor, W Java (Indonesia Window) – A tunnel from the Dutch colonial era was found in Sabrang Lor village, Trucuk sub district, Klaten district, Central Java province.

Based on its physical constriction, the old tunnel was thought to be a water channel considering that the Trucuk area was once famous for tobacco farming, said Deni Wahju Hidajat from the Cultural Conservation Preservation Provincial Office, in Klaten, Wednesday (Sep. 8).

"Tobacco was the superior product of the VOC (Dutch East India Company). The tunnel most likely had been established around the 1800s," he explained, adding that the office would hand over the management of the preservation to the local administration.

The old tunnel has an outer width of 261 cm, an inner width of 197 cm, and a height of 130 cm.

According to Deni, the tunnel building did not need to be reconstructed. “We will simply preserve and repair it. Later, we will excavate into about one meter for study purpose. We are involving the village as well as local people and administrations in preserving the tunnel, so that they would have sense of ownership," he said.

On the same occasion, head of Sabrang Lor village Budi Andrianto said, the administration would follow directives from the Cultural Conservation Preservation Provincial Office.

He hoped the old tunnel could be seen by all people.

The discovery of the old Dutch tunnel began when some people dredged the land, which used to be a reservoir, to build a fishing pond and a culinary center.

Reporting by Indonesia Window