Tirunelveli: The main waterfalls at Courtallam which had disappointed tourists since the start of the season owing to their lack of water, were in spate Saturday morning following heavy rain in the Western Ghats. So thin and safe were the falls until now that tourists were allowed to bathe in queue at the main falls, old Courtallam falls and the five other falls last Wednesday and Thursday.
But with all the major falls in good flow, tourists were prevented from bathing in them Saturday morning. They were however able to enjoy getting wet in the falls again in the afternoon as the flood receded. Meanwhile, heavy rain in the forests of the Kalikesam region of Kanyakumari district inundated the roads leading to the rubber estates at Keriparai and Puraliyaru.
The manager of the state rubber corporation, Thomas, who arrived in the area to assess the situation was caught in a flash flood in Kalikesam river near Sathupalam Saturday and had to be rescued by estate workers while his jeep was washed away.
Sea remained rough in Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi districts, forcing around 200 mechanised boats that had gone fishing from the Thoothukudi harbour to return Saturday afternoon.