The inflow at Hogenakkal touched 30,000 cusecs on Thursday for the first time since February.

The inflow at Biligundulu, which was only 4,000 cusecs at 8 a.m. on Thursday steadily increased to 10,000 cuses by 11 a.m. and then touched 15,000 cusecs at 1 p.m. It kept rising to reach 22,000 cusecs by 3 p.m.

On Wednesday, Karnataka released 50,000 cusecs from Kabini reservoir and over 4,713 cusecs from Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir, in the wake of heavy rain in the State.

The water level is expected to rise to 35,000 cusecs by Friday morning. The inflow is significant since until June, the inflow had hovered between 200 cusecs to 500 cusecs lending the terrain dry. February this year saw considerable inflow, which, however, fell soon after.

With the water level rising, people living in the low-lying villages fringing Hogenakkal from Alambadi to Nagamarai, including Ootamalai and Naatarkotaai, were asked to exercise caution. Besides, those living on the fringes in temporary settlements for fishing were asked to evacuate.

Coracle operations had, however, come to a standstill since March, and tourists have been banned since the lockdown. The increasing water level and the picturesque five falls with a cascading Cauvery down the rockface will have no viewers from the proximity of the falls this time around.