A BMC spokesperson informed that all the squads had been put on alert after the weather bureau had warned of heavy rain throughout the day. Armed with bamboo and iron rods, squad members could be seen struggling in knee-deep water and cautioning commuters from approaching ditches and drains. The conservancy department was also on the job trying to clear the garbage from water outlets so that water would recede quickly.

Water-logging was reported at Hind Mata, Parel TT, Kalachowky, Dadar TT, Wadala, Kings Circle, Rafique Ali Kidwai Marg, Sewri, Khar subway, Azar Road at Vile Parle, Andheri subway, Kurla junction and Malad subway.

Those travelling by trains had a relatively better time. The Central and Harbour railway trains were reportedly running 20to 25 minutes behind schedule. Railway spokespersons informed that none of the trains were cancelled.

Rail traffic beyond Ambernath was however disrupted. Traffic came to a halt between Ambernath and Badlapur for two hours between 11.30 am and 1.45 pm due to water-logging on the tracks. Services were resumed only late in the evening. The Central Railway however, ran shuttle services between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Ambernath and Karjat and Badlapur.

Over 400 m of tracks between Apta and Pen were washed away disrupting services along the Konkan route. Repair work was on even as many of the trains on this route were diverted. The Netravati Express was stopped at Pen and was sent back to Ernakulam from Pen instead of Kurla Express.

The silver lining to the cloud was that the Modak Sagar lake, one of the sources of potable water for Mumbai, over-flowed this morning.

Helpline

Operators at the control rooms had a busy day today with panic-stricken citizens making calls to find out aboutthe overall situation in the city. The control room at the BMC headquarters was the one which received the maximum number of calls.

An operator on duty informed that they received 14 calls from citizens informing them about water-logging in various parts of the city. Another eight calls regarding falling of trees were received till evening. The operator informed that the telephone had been ringing continuously since the morning.

Another control room set up as part of the Disaster Management Plan received three calls informing them about two landslides at Bhandup and Vikroli Park Site and a 12 ft high wall collapse at Goregaon (east).

The traffic police imparted information through their taped message updating it on a hourly basis. The information included flooded spots in the city and rain forecast. Similarly, the weather bureau was flooded with calls asking for the forecast, said a spokesperson.