Drought in Albania

KUKES LAKE - The long-submerged ruins of the old town of Kukes have re-emerged because of lack of rain.

Caked mud encrusts Albania's Fierza power dam.

For a second year boats lie high and dry on banks terraced by the receding water levels.

"Some people started working the land they lost to the lake in the 1970s," said Kukes resident Fatime.

It is the clearest evidence yet that Albanians are in for a further spell of power blackouts.

Meteorologists say only one third of the average quantity of rain fell in the area from September to December. It was the worst dry spell since 1915 when a rainless summer caused famine.

The re-surfacing of old Kukes means water levels at the Fierza dam further west are now just seven metres from the point where the turbines must be stopped.

About 90 percent of Albania's power comes from three schemes on the Drini River of which Fierza is the biggest.

On a normal day noise from the turbines would be too loud to make yourself heard. But now only one is turning...

Coupled with "miscalculations" about how much power Albania should have imported to deal with ever-increasing consumption, the drought means power cuts of up to 12 hours a day....