(ANSA) - SARAJEVO - An artificial lake, fed by the waters of the river Neretva, stretching for about 30 km between Konjic and Jablanica, south of Sarajevo, has disappeared: piles of sand and mud with a little stream in the middle is all that remains of Jablanica lake, which could reach depths of around 80 metres.

After Elektroprivreda, Bosnian state-owned electricity company, by raising the dam of the nearby power station, made the water flow south and the other two hydroelectric power stations at Salakovac and Grabovica, the lake has disappeared and many nvironmentalists declared an ''ecological disaster'' and the total loss of flora and fauna. Elektroprivreda issued a statement today, denying responsibility, and attributed what happened to drought and extreme cold weather in January, which imposed an increase in electricity production, and announced that the water level has grown 5 metres in the last days.

Elektroprivreda also recalled that similar conditions also occurred in 2012, without affecting the fish stocks of the lake.(ANSA).