New Delhi, July 19 -- In a bid to reduce chronic waterlogging in south and southeast Delhi during the monsoon, the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department has floated tenders for widening and deepening the Taimoor Nagar drain-an overburdened stormwater channel that has long failed to cope with peak rainfall discharge. The Rs.66.29-lakh project will target the stretch between the Bombay-Baroda Highway and the Yamuna river and is expected to significantly increase the drain's carrying capacity and reduce flooding in areas such as Taimoor Nagar, New Friends Colony, Maharani Bagh and Kalkaji. "Desilting and dredging of the drain have been completed. But to handle stormwater more efficiently and carry runoff from adjoining neighbourhoods, the drain needs to be widened. The impact of this work will only be seen by the next monsoon," an I&FC department official said. The drain spans around 40 feet in width but narrows drastically downstream to just 5-6 feet near Taimoor Nagar Extension, where it is choked by unauthorised and illegal structures and criss-crossed by Delhi Jal Board pipelines. This bottleneck is the primary reason behind widespread flooding during even moderate or light rainfall, officials said. The department will use amphibious excavators to remove silt and physical obstructions, followed by structural reshaping of the channel to ensure a smoother outflow of stormwater. "Temporary desilting has been done, but the full project will take at least two months," the official added. The work is expected to reduce flooding and curb monsoon-related health risks and diseases, including mosquito breeding....