The Greek capital Athens is facing a deepening water crisis as the two main dams that supply the city - – „Mornos“ and „Iliki“ - have lost about 40 percent of their water reserves in recent years, officials reported, quoted by the online edition of the „Kathimerini“ newspaper, BTA reported.
In recent years, the area of „Mornos“ has decreased by almost half, while „Iliki“ has seen a dramatic drop in water levels, experts say, noting that the current drought can only be compared to the prolonged dry period from 1988-1994.
The prolonged drought, fewer rainy days and reduced mountain snow are among the main reasons that limit natural inflows, and recent strong storms have hardly contributed to the restoration of reservoirs, as much of the water has flowed to the sea, experts also note.
To deal with the drought, the Greek government plans to impose an emergency water regime to accelerate water supply projects and the construction of supporting infrastructure. Central to their strategy is the “Evritos“ project, which aims to divert excess water from the “Kremasta“ dam to the Athens water supply network.
The authorities are also urging city residents to use water wisely.