Tamil Nadu: Tourists barred from bathing at Old Courtallam Falls in Tenkasi due to flash flood

Heavy rainfall in the Western Ghats caused a flash flood at the Old Courtallam Falls at the foothills of the mountain range in Tamil Nadu's Tenkasi on Saturday.

Due to this flooding, tourists are prohibited from bathing near the waterbodies adjacent to the Old Courtallam Falls, which is a major tourist attraction in the district, an official said.

Though the weather is now pleasant, the water level downstream of the falls has not receded yet.

As Saturday is a weekend, several tourists visited the waterfalls, but many said they were disappointed to find out that they were not allowed to bathe in the water body.

Tamil Nadu has witnessed unprecedented rains this year. At first, Cyclone Michaung brought heavy rains to Chennai and surrounding districts, leaving a destruction trail. Recently, Tamil Nadu's southern districts witnessed heavy rainfalls.

Due to the rains, the state has incurred heavy losses of public and private property, running into crores.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has sought ₹12,000 crore in central assistance and ₹7,300 crore of immediate relief for the damages in the flood.