The drought revealed a sunken settlement at the artificial lake of Pournari in Arta – See photos

The water level has receded by several meters, revealing the ruins of stone houses and the school submerged in mud

On the Arta-Trikala highway, the road that crosses central Tzoumerka, after the village of Melates, the place that was “swallowed” by the waters of the Pournari dam 43 years ago is revealed. It is the settlement of Fagos of the village of Kato Kalentini.

As we approach the bank, the landscape captivates the visitor. With the eye we realize that the water level has receded by several meters. Absolute silence. Ruins of stone houses and the school are covered in mud. Tree trunks and roots of trees that have stood the test of time and water look like fossils. The seabed in many places is completely dry.

The level of the artificial lake of Pournari, due to tranquility, has dropped at least 10 meters, residents in the local cafe told APA-MPA. This is the first time this phenomenon has happened, they say, noting that it has not rained for many months, since last April. In fact, Mr. Thomas explains that the water covered the two-seat school, which now, appeared again, to remind them nostalgically of their childhood, when the classrooms were “flooded” by 120 students.

The older ones gaze at their demolished houses in the muddy waters and the memories come alive.

Ms Athena lives just up the road and every day, she looks down on her neighbourhood, the place she grew up, from above. As she says, there were seven shops in the settlement, there was life, many families lived there. She remembers the days when they left their homes in the early 1980s to start their lives again at higher elevations. The waters of the dam then wiped out their place.

Lake Purnari, covering an area of 18.3 square kilometers, is the result of the construction of the hydroelectric dam of the same name on the Arachtho River, near Peta.

The lake has created a wonderful man-made ecosystem in the area, with great fish and birdlife. In the waters of the lake we find carp, sturgeon, wild trout, eels, among others. The area is a shelter for numerous birds, such as night crows, green-headed ducks, alcyons, bald eagles, brown-headed gulls and river warblers.The tour of the area impresses the visitor in all seasons. Kato Kalentini is a picturesque lakeside village immersed in the green of nature, surrounded by plane trees and pine trees.