Jaipur, Sept. 19 -- Rajasthan's reservoirs are entering the final phase of the monsoon with water storage nearly 30 percentage points below last year's level, raising concerns over water availability in the state's western and drought-prone regions during the coming dry months. According to the Water Resources Department's status report as on September 18, the state's 693 dams held 7,924.97 million cubic metres (Mcum) of water, or 60.83% of their combined capacity of 13,029.09 Mcum. On the corresponding date last year, the reservoirs held 11,732.86 Mcum, or 90.05% of capacity. Storage improved by 72.58 Mcum over the past 24 hours, while levels have risen considerably from the pre-monsoon low of 44.46% recorded on June 15. However, the substantial year-on-year deficit highlights the weaker reservoir position as the monsoon begins to withdraw. The sharpest deterioration has been recorded in the Jodhpur zone, where reservoirs are holding only 13.60% of capacity. Against a capacity of 544.64 Mcum, the zone has just 74.09 Mcum in storage, compared with 414.59 Mcum at the same time last year. Jodhpur district is the weakest-performing district in the state, with reservoirs at only 16.72% of capacity, against 81.77% a year ago. Major reservoirs, including Jaswantsagar and the Jodhpur district stretch of Bisalpur, are reporting zero storage. The other zones have also recorded significant year-on-year declines. Bharatpur zone is at 46.51% of capacity, Udaipur at 42.25%, Jaipur at 52.68% and Banswara at 47.39%. Kota remains the notable exception, with its reservoirs at 83.03% of capacity, supported by relatively stronger storage in Kota district. The district-wise picture similarly shows the uneven impact of the monsoon. Kota district has the highest reservoir storage level at 76.25%, while Jodhpur is at the bottom of the table. Among the state's 23 major dams, which together have a capacity of 8,196.75 Mcum, storage stood at 67.42%. Bisalpur Dam in Tonk, a key drinking-water source for Jaipur, was at 73.98% of capacity, broadly comparable with its position last year. Kota's Rana Pratap Sagar and Kota Barrage were also relatively well placed, with storage at 72.99% and 97.09%, respectively. However, several major reservoirs remain under considerable stress. Jawai Dam in Pali was only 21.25% full, while Ramgarh dam near Jaipur was completely dry and Chhaparwara stood at just 13.35% of capacity. The situation is more concerning among smaller reservoirs. Of the 263 medium dams with capacity above 4.25 Mcum, storage was at 53.19%. The 407 smaller dams, with capacity below 4.25 Mcum, were only 32.36% full. As many as 202 of the state's 693 dams were completely empty on Thursday, while 409 were partially filled and only 82 had reached full capacity. Of the 407 smallest dams, 154 were dry, compared with 48 among the 286 larger dams. With the monsoon nearing its end, the limited time left for significant inflows has increased the importance of any late-season rainfall. The sharp deficit in storage, particularly across western Rajasthan, could put additional pressure on irrigation and drinking-water supplies in the coming months if the gap with last year's levels is not narrowed....