Several thousands of tourists thronged Courtallam on Saturday even as the police prevented tourists from taking bath at Main Falls due to heavy inflow of water.
As incessant drizzle continued in the Western Ghats since Friday evening, the Main Falls experienced heavy flood around 6.30 p.m. and the tourists were prevented from taking bath till 8.30 a.m. on Saturday. Though the visitors were allowed to bath at the Main Falls from 9 a.m. onwards, the ban was again enforced around 3 p.m. and it continued till 5 p.m.
However, the tourists were able to bath at the Old Falls and Five Falls with the waterfalls receiving heavy inflow during the past 30 hours.
The tourist destination witnessed huge crowd on Saturday and the situation is likely to continue till Sunday evening.
The police had tough time on Saturday regulating the hundreds of vehicles that entered the small town at the foothills. There were many tourists from neighbouring Kerala also.
After the Main Falls witnessed three deaths – two due to drowning in the pool and another one due to fits – the Department of Public Health is contemplating the possibilities of having a first-aid centre near the waterfalls till the end of the season to extend medical assistance to the visitors.