Bhubaneswar, Aug. 20 -- Many households in northern and coastal Odisha had only just cleared the layers of mud and debris left behind by the first flood when the second deluge arrived.

Fresh torrential rains fuelled by successive low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal within a fortnight caused the Brahmani and Baitarani rivers to breach their banks again, submerging villages that had only just begun to recover from the aftermath of the first flood.

Over 9.4 lakh people across six districts have been affected in the latest deluge, forcing the evacuation of more than 2 lakh people. The scale of the crisis prompted chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi to announce a Rs.1,110-crore relief package in two tranches.

Low-pressure systems and ...