Formerly Arid Full Of Weeds, Now The Pagat Tourist Attraction In The Upper Sungai Tengah Has Been Turned Into A Flower Garden

Flower garden of Batu Benawa tourist attraction (Via ANTARA)

UPPER RIVER CENTRAL - The government of Hulu Sungai Tengah Regency, South Kalimantan has turned the weeds of the Pagat tourist attraction, Batu Benawa District into a flower garden.

Deputy Regent of Hulu Sungai Tengah Mansyah Saberi explained that his party intends to turn an arid area or weeds into a more attractive tourist attraction/recreation area.

"Therefore, in addition to making flower gardens, we will also reforest the Batu Benawa-Pagat tourist attraction (about nine kilometers from the district capital)," he said.

"By re-greening with trees, we hope that the Batu Benawa tourist attraction area will become shady, also cool and cold," he said in Barabai, Antara, Sunday, June 26.

The Hulu Sungai Tengah Regency Government wants to restore the former glory of the Batu Benawa tourist attraction, so that it increasingly attracts visitors, both from the local community and outside the region.

"Then it can be a source of regional income through better and artistic management of the Batu Benawa tourist attraction," said Mansyah Saberi.

Meanwhile, Batu Benawa, which comes from the fairy tale of Raden Bridal, was a prima donna tourist attraction in the upstream area of the river or "Banua Lima" (now Banua Anam) until the 1980s.

The upstream area of the South Kalimantan river, previously known as Banua Lima, includes Tapin Regency, South Hulu Sungai, Central River Hulu, North River Hulu, and Tabalong Regency. Later it became Banua Enam, due to the expansion of HSU with the formation of Balangan Regency in April 2003.

Even Batu Benawa's fame is not only in the upstream area of the South Kalimantan river, but also as far as Banjarmasin, many people visit.

Visitors from far/outside the area such as Banjarmasin and Pelaihari, the capital of Tanah Laut Regency, some are camping to enjoy the cool breeze of Benawa air.

In addition, listening to the melodious splash of Kali Benawa water passing through the cascades or rocks.

The existence of the Batu Benawa tourist attraction which is on the outskirts of the Meratus Mountains helps the people's economy, because many local residents can sell.