The “Mornos” dam, which supplies the Greek capital Athens with fresh water, has shrunk by a quarter of its surface in the last two years, the national meteorological service reported, quoted by DPA, writes BTA.
According to meteorologists, the reasons for the decrease in the amount of water in the dam are drought, high temperatures and mild winters with little precipitation.
Satellite data released by the weather service showed the dam's water surface had shrunk from about 17 square kilometers to 12 square kilometers within two years. The largest decline has occurred in the last 12 months.
The water level is so low that you can see the houses of the village of Kallio, displaced during the construction of the dam in 1979 and flooded by its waters. This is not the first time this has happened, but this year the water level is particularly low.
The drought also affects other parts of Greece. In Crete the level of the dam "Aposelemis" drops, the water level is very low and in the reservoir "Pinios" on the Peloponnese peninsula. In Northern Greece, the mud baths at Lake Picrolimni have almost dried up, and the municipality of Kilkis has urged residents to conserve water.
A state of emergency has been declared in 14 municipalities in Greece due to the lack of water. Popular resort islands such as Crete, Sifnos, Leros and Kefalonia are affected.