Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra (ANTARA) - Travelers on the Indralaya-Prabumulih Toll Road (Indra-Prabu) or those coming from the Palembang-Indralaya Toll Road (Palindra) will be greeted with a unique sight on the 23^rd km: an office complex situated in the middle of a marsh.

Passersby can witness the grandeur and uniqueness of the Integrated Office Complex (KPT) of the Ogan Ilir Regency Government above the toll road. People will see the bright electric lights emanating from the office complex throughout the day and night.

That area is called Tanjung Senai, the government office complex of Ogan Ilir Regency. It is located on an island or peninsula surrounded by a marsh, and the complex appears to be surrounded by vast expanses of water during the rainy season.

The area also serves as one of the attractions and icons of Ogan Ilir Regency, being relied upon as a tourism destination in the “Land of Caram Seguguk (mutual cooperation).”

To reach the government office complex, there are two straight crossing roads from Jalan Lintas Timur Sumatra of the Trans-Sumatra Highway from Palembang to Lampung. Additionally, since the operation of the Indra-Prabu Toll Road a year ago, the Tanjung Senai area has been greeted with the sight of toll road support pillars forming a long flyover bridge.

In addition to its distinctiveness, Tanjung Senai also possesses another uniqueness. A marsh with incredible potential surrounds the government office complex.

The legendary marsh area in Ogan Ilir has attracted many researchers who wanted to map its potential. While there are no natural springs, it acts as a reservoir that collects the overflow from the Ogan River during the rainy season. The area is complemented by the “Yellow Bridge,” a distinctive cable-stayed construction that serves as a distinct attraction.

“The Tanjung Senai area is surrounded by a marsh. There are no natural springs there, yet it plays a significant role and serves as a water reservoir during the rainy season,” said Lia, Head of the Pollution Control Division at the Ogan Ilir Environmental Agency.

The focus is on optimizing the marsh's presence and function. However, the marsh is not the only one in Ogan Ilir because there are still hundreds of other marshes of varying sizes.

The marsh area has become one of the region's iconic features because it is also a habitat for water buffaloes. The marsh serves as grazing areas for the water buffaloes, including the well-maintained expanse of green grass on the Integrated Government Office Complex of Ogan Ilir Regency.

The marshland of Tanjung Senai also attracts interest and attention from researchers at universities in Palembang. Some of their studies have also been published in scientific journals.

One of the studies was by Putri Afriani, Juswardi, and Hanifa Marisa, titled “Composition, Diversity, and Vegetation Structure of the Tanjung Senai Marshland, Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra,” published in the Biology and Biology Education Journal "Spizaetus."

The abstract states that Tanjung Senai in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, is a unique seasonal marsh area with various potential uses, such as fisheries, animal husbandry, agriculture, plantations, and ecotourism.

Ecotourism, which includes aspects of flora, fauna, and landscape, is one attractive potential development area in this area.

Efforts to sustainably maintain the ecological function and utilize the existing potential in Tanjung Senai’s marsh require further research into the flora aspect. This is because the diversity of flora has not been extensively explored in marshland areas characterized by seasonal flooding.

The marsh is also closely associated with the development of water buffalo farming in Ogan Ilir. The Tanjung Senai area and other marsh areas have served as grazing grounds for these long-horned cattle.

“Yes, this has always been a marshy area, and the Tanjung Senai office complex used to be a sugarcane plantation. In the past, we used to find feed for our livestock easily, but it is a bit difficult today because the land has decreased,” said Kamaludin, a water buffalo owner from Indralaya, Ogan Ilir.

He admitted to owning around 30 water buffaloes that he grazes together with his family. The 65-year-old man was interviewed in a grass field on the outskirts of the Tanjung Senai office complex.

“The marshlands here are inseparable from the water buffalo farmers in Ogan Ilir. I have been involved in this since the 1970s when my children were still young,” said Kamaludin.

The population of water buffaloes in Tanjung Senai is one of the attractions that will support the area's ecotourism in the future.

On the other hand, the expanse of the Tanjung Senai’s marsh continues to diminish. Many parts of the marsh area have been filled and converted into residential areas and restaurants that capitalize on the naturally charming location and view.

Optimization

The increasing need for rice cultivation areas to expand food production makes marshes one of the preferred options. Modifications and development of rice varieties are required in these locations because the area is not as good as regular paddy fields.

The Ogan Ilir Regency Government has recognized this potential. Since 2017, the local government has expressed its commitment to mapping the marshes. Unfortunately, their utilization has not been optimized even today.

“We are still searching for a suitable marsh area for that purpose. Our efforts are ongoing," Lia said.

The marsh has enormous potential. However, it also poses significant challenges. One of them is the water inundation that occurs for about 6 – 7 months, which significantly affects productivity, allowing only one harvest per year.

The next challenge is developing water management programs, especially during the rainy season. A company managing the marsh area in the Pamulutan Subdistrict of Ogan Ilir Regency has attempted this.

Technological intervention is essential for rice cultivation in marshlands because different treatments are required. In addition to water management and the varieties used, technological interventions need to be adjusted accordingly.

The marshlands have often been deemed less suitable for agricultural purposes due to their susceptibility to flooding during rainy periods.

However, the land can become more productive with water management programs in place. The land can be cultivated three times a year with proper water management.

Palabuhan Dalam Village, in the Pamulutan Subdistrict of Ogan Ilir Regency, is one of the villages whose majority of its agricultural land consists of marshlands.

It is situated between two major rivers, namely the Ogan River and the Keramasan River. Throughout the year, the land is submerged in water for approximately 6 – 7 months.

Practically, local farmers can only harvest once during the period from April to September, while the rest of the land remains flooded and cannot be utilized for other crops.

Utilizing marshland presents its own challenges, especially in dealing with water fluctuations during the rainy and dry seasons. Therefore, it is necessary to build water management systems suitable for the land conditions, such as constructing water channels and long storage embankments.

Dr. Edward Saleh, a researcher from the Agricultural Engineering Department of the Agriculture Faculty at Sriwijaya University, addresses the adaptation of marshland waterlogging patterns with floating plant cultivation in the Pelabuhan Dalam Village, Ogan Ilir Regency. He wrote it in the “Sriwijaya Dedication Journal”.

He proposed a solution for the land by offering a floating rice cultivation system. This floating rice cultivation can be done during the growth phase or only in the early growth phase, which is expected to adapt to the flooded marshland conditions.

It is important to continuously explore and test different adaptation patterns to deal with the characteristics of marshlands similar to those found in Ogan Ilir Regency. To achieve this, multi-stakeholder cooperation is necessary to work towards a common goal of fully utilizing the land potential in South Sumatra.

Marshland Map of South Sumatra

According to data from the Director General of Infrastructure and Facilities of the Ministry of Agriculture, the marshland rice fields in South Sumatra cover 340,486 hectares.

In 2024, the optimization activities for marshland in South Sumatra cover an area of ​​98,400 hectares, with details as follows: Banyuasin Regency 22,000 hectares, Ogan Komering Ilir Regency 65,000 hectares, East OKU Regency 5,000 hectares, Ogan Ilir Regency 4,000 hectares, and Muara Enim Regency 2,400 hectares.

Support for marshland optimization activities is provided through the preparation of Survey Investigation Design (SID) documents, construction or rehabilitation of water and land infrastructure, as well as land preparation and planting.

Data from the South Sumatra Provincial Government indicates that the province has marshland covering an area of 3.36 million hectares.

The activities carried out in the marshes include developing water and land infrastructure, pre- and post-planting agricultural mechanization, and the provision of production facilities.

The South Sumatra Provincial Government needs to encourage Ogan Ilir Regency and Banyuasin Regency to optimize marshland rice fields. The Ministry of Agriculture's marshland optimization program has assisted farmers in improving harvest productivity.

Moreover, South Sumatra is currently one of the national food buffer regions. South Sumatra has also been supplying rice production to neighboring provinces, such as Jambi and Bangka Belitung.

Despite the challenges faced in utilizing marshlands, it is necessary to continue promoting technological interventions in water management to make them reliable for optimizing marshlands as a new food warehouse for the future.

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