Both Central and Western railways began the day on a tentative note running only skeletal services, as if testing waters. The caution, though, wasn't uncalled for as rain gods looked all prepared for a repeat performance following a brief respite after mid-night. While Western Railway resumed services in the morning, the first Central line train rolled out of CST at 12 noon, closely followed by a Harbour line train. These trains, however, were running 15 to 20 minutes late, slowed down considerably due to water logging in low-lying areas like Dadar and Matunga on the Western Line, Byculla on the Central corridor and Reay Road and Chunabhatti on the Harbour line. Serviceson the Harbour Line were disrupted once again as water level rose dangerously between Kurla and Tilak Nagar around 4 pm. Reports said there was six inches of water on the up-track and 4 inches on the down-track between Kurla and Tilak Nagar. Traffic, however, resumed later in the evening. All the CR mail trains were rescheduled due to the downpour and the Pune Passenger 1325 Dn had to be cancelled.

The Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Mukul Marwah said the water logging was inevitable given the intensity of rains. His Western Railway counterpart, Ravindra Tandon, said though services from Churchgate were suspended after 6.30 pm on Saturday, they managed to run four special trains between 1.25 and 2.30 am today to clear the stranded passengers. ``Everything is normal now,'' he added.

WR rescheduled four long-distance passenger trains, including the Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express, the 9215 Saurashtra Express and the 2471 Swaraj Express. The 13Dn/14up Valsad passenger and2463/2964 Sayyajinagari Express were cancelled. The incoming Gujarat Express was terminated at Borivli and left on its return journey from there at 8.44 am.

Road traffic too limped back to normalcy today and BEST operated almost all its routes, though some buses were diverted to avoid flooded spots. The worst hit area of King's Circle, however, remained inundated through the day. A resident, R Sridhar, said: ``The water level has only been rising in the past 36 hours here. There is absolutely no traffic coordination and heavy vehicles are stuck in the flood. No barricades have been put up at danger spots and as a result a truck, which rammed into a divider, is lying tilted...some six others have broken down.'' He debunked the civic claims of having cleaned sewerage lines in a pre-monsoon exercise. He said flooding was an annual feature here and this season has not been any exception.

Meanwhile, a BMC spokesperson said there was still some water logging between Kranti Nagar in Tardeo and Khatau Mill areain Byculla. Shell Colony, Ayappa Colony and some other adjoining areas of Chembur and Govandi too were flooded.

The foul weather continued to pose problems for air traffic. Flight schedules of both Air-India and Indian Airlines were disrupted as incessant rains and poor visibility resulted in delays and cancellations.

No casualties were reported today from anywhere in the city, though fire officials said many trees were uprooted due to strong winds. Yesterday, a 33-year-old paanwalla, Shekhar Devodia, was electrocuted at RCF Colony in Chembur, and a 55-year-old woman, Chanda Tulsi, was killed in a wall collapse at Malad. Namdeo Prasad (23), who was injured seriously in the wall collapse, has been admitted to Bhagwati Hospital in Borivli.

Power supply to parts of Dahisar that plunged into darkness soon after midnight today, could be restored only late this evening.

The scene at King's Circle, one of the worst on the arterial stretches of city, is pathetic. Residents R Sridhar bemoaned,``In the past 36hours, the floods have stagnated although at several surrounding areas waters have receded. Due to failure of traffic coordination, heavy vehicles have forced themselves into the floods cheek-by-jowl with humanity.''

No barricades have been put up at vital danger spots and as a result a truck rammed into a divider and lies precariously tilted and some six others have broken down due to water entering their exhaust, he reported.

He debunked the civic claims of cleaning sewerage lines by saying that flooding was an annual feature here for years.``In the past three-four years, they deployed motor-pumps to ease out the stagnated water. There is an urgent need for them now. Even a single hour's rain is enough to bring life to a standstill in this area.''he added.

Mahim samaritans extend a helping hand

As thousands of Mumbaiites walked home last evening, rude shocks awaited them at every point of their difficult journey. But some of the city's good samaritans rose to the occasion and provided welcomerelief to the harried walkers.

Five shopkeepers on Lady Jamshetji Road, Mahim, got together and supplied drinking water and tea to stranded commuters free of charge. The shops -- Bhairav Bhandi Bhandar, Gajanan Metals, S P Jain Jewellers, Sadhana Hardware and Bharat Sales pooled in Rs 5000 to supply tea to 5,000 people last night.``We began serving tea at 8 pm, and continued till 12.30 am, when the supply of milk was exhausted. We enquired at all the dairies in the area, but nobody could provide us more milk,'' informed one of the shop owners, Lalit Jain. ``We had done this during the last monsoon as well. So this time, when we heard that trains had stopped running, we mobilised 20 people immediately,'' he added.

``There was a constant flow of people, and we didn't want some to wait here and block the way. So we requested the owner of Rajesh Plastics to open his shop and provide us plastic cups,'' another shop-owner Pankaj Jain said. The enthusiastic team even went up to people in buses and taxis stuck inthe traffic jam. ``We ensured the bus drivers drank two cups each, so that they remained alert throughout the journey,'' Pankaj informed. Besides offering free water and tea, they had also put up a blackboard informing people about the current status of the trains. Lalit pointed out: ``Initially people didn't realise that the service was free, so we put up a board that said so. After that, there was an endless stream of people picking up cups and leaving behind words of blessing as they walked along.''

Price of vegetables soar

Essential commodities are digging a hole in the pockets of the common man as prices of onions, potatoes, tomatoes and garlic have sky-rocketed after the heavy downpour in Mumbai. Vegetables like French beans, cauliflower, ladies-finger and rates of other spices like green chillies and coriander leaves have also reached unimaginable heights.With Rs 20 per kg being charged for onions and potatoes, coriander leaves and garlic cost an exorbitant Rs 45 per kg, market sourcesinformed, while vegetables range somewhere between Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg. According to marketmen, other factors like the cyclone in Gujarat and the BMC's anti-hawkers zone have also contributed to the rise in prices.

The Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), the largest supplier of onions and potatoes to Mumbai and its suburbs, have kept their wholesale rates steady, yet when these commodities reach the city markets the rates usually go up. Onions are usually brought to Mumbai from within the state, mainly from Nashik and Pune, and range from Rs 700 to Rs 850 per quintal.

Hence, their actual selling price ought to be Rs 8, but they're actually sold at a rate three times higher. But hapless consumers have to part with a lion's share of their salaries on buying essential commodities alone. Rumours are rife in the market that the traders have apparently dumped large amounts of these commodities in cold storage and godowns and are waiting for prices to reach sky-high, after which they will release asmall portion of the material available at slightly lesser rates, thus getting high profits.

`Showers washed away commuters hopes too'

It has nothing to with the forces of nature. It has nothing to do with poor infrastructure.

Instead, it concerns those who promised to break our routine. The routine that begins with just one day of incessant rain, year after year. For the past few weeks, we saw a whole lot of rotting muck being shovelled out from the railway tracks. And the mind's eye saw rain being sucked into these drains. But like you do every year it pours, you rescheduled trains, terminated them and blanked out indicators on platforms, while the broadcasting system stuttered: ``Due to flooding on tracks following heavy rains, suburban trains have been disrupted. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to commuters. Please bear with us.''

For years, we have allowed ourselves to be kept in the dark. While you chose to broadcast such inane messages (in three languages, thank you!), wewaited on the dirty platforms. And like adaptable fish in polluted d(rain) water, we took to the crummy rail compartments. We have taken it all silently, even the view from outside that as inhabitants of this overburdened city, we are used to it. We crammed into buses and begged before cabbies and automen, only to move an inch an hour. Propelled, as it were, by wind and water, we waded homeward. This year, you gave us a sliver of hope. But it was easily washed away by the heavy showers.

-- An angry commuter