Jaipur: The revival of the southwest monsoon began replenishing Rajasthan’s reservoirs, with the state’s 23 major dams holding 4,691.94 million cubic metres (Mcum) of water, or 57.24% of their combined designed capacity of 8,196.75 Mcum.According to the Water Resources Department’s report released Friday, storage registered a marginal rise following fresh monsoon inflows. Officials were hopeful that, since a substantial part of the rainy season was still left, sustained rainfall could take several reservoirs close to their full capacity.Morel Dam in Dausa already reached its full capacity, storing 76.66 Mcum. Kota Barrage was also nearly full, holding 110.09 Mcum against its capacity of 112.06 Mcum, or 98.24%.“Presently, the monsoon is active over the Kota and Udaipur divisions. Consequently, dams in these regions are receiving ample inflows from their catchment areas. However, widespread rainfall is needed to improve storage in reservoirs elsewhere in the state,” an officer with the Water Resources Department said.Among the larger reservoirs, Rana Pratap Sagar held 1,933.92 Mcum against its designed capacity of 2,905.23 Mcum, placing it at 66.57%. Bisalpur Dam had 726.69 Mcum of water against its full capacity of 1,095.84 Mcum, or 66.31%. Bisalpur was particularly crucial as it catered to the drinking-water requirements of Jaipur, Ajmer and Tonk.Officials said the dam needed heavy rainfall across its catchment area for a substantial rise in its water level. “Last year, Bisalpur attained its full capacity in July itself, and its gates remained open until the end of the monsoon in September,” an official posted at the dam said.In contrast, Ramgarh Dam in Jaipur continued to remain dry, with nil storage against its designed capacity of 75.04 Mcum. Other reservoirs, including Kalakh Sagar, Chhaparwara and Haro, also continued to report low storage levels despite the revival of monsoon rainfall.Officials said most major dams in Rajasthan reached full capacity in Aug 2025. They stressed that reservoirs must be adequately replenished during the monsoon because evaporation, seepage and water losses during maintenance gradually reduced available storage.“It is necessary for dams to attain their full capacity during the monsoon to ensure an uninterrupted drinking-water supply during the lean months,” an officer said.
