Villages Abandoned Near Europe’s Worst Climate Polluting Power Plants (PHOTOS)

The villages of Charavgi and Kleitos, located in the valley of Ptolemais in Greece, have been gradually abandoned since the Greek Public Power Corporation (PPC) opened two power plants in the region.

Situated near the town of Kozani, some 500 kilometers north of capital city Athens, the PPC’s power plants - Kardia and Agios Dimitrios - are allegedly the European Union's top two Carbon-di-Oxide-emitting power plants and have been dubbed the worst climate polluting power stations, according to a May 2007 WWF survey called Dirty Thirty.

As per the report, the Agios Dimitrios power plant emits about 12 million tonnes of CO2 per year, while the Kardia power station emits about 9 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

The two power plants are Greece’s biggest, producing about 70 per cent of the country’s electricity but they have affected human settlements in their locality.

The PPC reportedly bought the once flourishing nearby villages of Charavgi and Kleitos and relocated residents elsewhere.

Now almost a deserted area, the only person who lives in Kleitos is an Indian immigrant - Jangdip Pal, 45, who works as a night guard at the lignite mine, Reuters reports.

In Charavgi, only one shepherd lives, along with his family.

Discover the abandoned villages of Charavgi and Kleitos in some of the pictures below.