The extreme drought and heatwaves have led to a dramatic decrease in the water level in the Mornos reservoir, revealing the village of Kallio, flooded in the 1970s for the construction of a dam.
The reappearance of the submerged village illustrates the severity of the water crisis caused by drought and heatwaves, according to The Guardian.
The village, submerged in the '70s for the construction of a dam to supply water to Athens, has begun to resurface as the water levels in the Mornos reservoir have significantly dropped.
To allow the construction of the dam, the village of Kallio was completely flooded, and approximately 80 buildings, including the church and the primary school, were "sacrificed" for this project.
Almost five decades later, due to the drastic water level decline, the outlines of these buildings are visible once again.
"It's a nightmare situation," says Apostolos Gerodimos, the leader of the community that was forced to relocate when the dam was built. He warns that the problem will worsen if there is no precipitation during the winter.
In recent months, Greece has been affected by extreme heatwaves and lack of precipitation, leading to a 30% decrease in water reserves compared to the previous year. Popular islands, relying on wells and desalination plants, are particularly affected, especially with the unprecedented influx of tourists.
To address this crisis, the utility company Eydap is working on water management plans, including investments of 750 million euros to improve infrastructure and explore additional resources, such as Lake Yliki.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the need for building new dams and protecting water resources in a more systematic way, considering that water resources will become increasingly limited.