By Nicolas Bard

Very close to Kato Kalentini, a small village in the prefecture of Arta, which has only 100 inhabitants, was once the picturesque settlement of Fangos, which, after the creation of the artificial Lake Pournarios in the 1980s, sank into the blue waters of Arachthos. According to the testimonies of the locals, it was one of the most beautiful settlements in the area, and if the lake’s level was lower, today we would speak of a traditional lakeside settlement in the lush valley of Arachthos. However, the lake that was to be created was planned to cover the entire surface of the settlement. As it did…

The inhabitants had to empty the houses in a few 24 hours, gather their possessions and leave there. A pretty difficult move, especially if we consider that their whole life was there. There they were born, they went to school there, they got married and built their homes. As soon as the bank compensation entered and without any other choice, they made the harsh decision to move on, and on leaving they did not look back, so they would not see all their lives sinking … But today, because of the water scarcity and the few rainfall, the lane in the area,

Among the ruins that emerged from the lake, stand out the village café and two -seater school, as well as several half -ruined houses. The inhabitants of the settlement who had moved to neighborhoods when they retreated the waters of the lake, were confronted with a spectacle that deeply moved them and brought memories from another era. And of course, in addition to these memories, there have also been strong concerns about the climate change that has existed over the years, and now shows her tough face.

The artificial Lake Pournariou was created after the construction of a dam on the Arachthos River, about 4.5 kilometers northeast of Arta, at an altitude of 140 meters. The construction work of the hydroelectric project began in 1973 and ended in 1980, the year when the Fangos evacuation began. The lake has a total area of ​​18,233 square kilometers, a maximum length of 17,730 kilometers and a maximum width of 7,360 kilometers, while the barrier is 107 meters high! During the last two decades due to reduced rainfall in the area, especially during the summer, lake level has diminished dramatically, with scientists ringing the alarm.

His camera where Greece exists in SKAI, taking an interesting voyage to the prefecture of Arta, made a stop at the ghost settlement – ghost of the Fangos, which after almost 45 years that was submerged, came back to the surface. One picture, a thousand words …