India, Aug. 17 -- Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday undertook a boat ride to reach inundated villages in Jajpur district as the flood situation in the state remained grim, affecting more than 7.85 lakh people, officials said.

Accompanied by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj and BJP state president Manmohan Samal, Majhi visited the worst-affected Kasapa and Tarapada gram panchayats in Dasarathpur block, even as the IMD forecast more rains after the low-pressure system formed in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression.

Wearing a life jacket, the chief minister travelled by motorised boat and met affected people in Ramchandrapur, Balda and Dhobabil villages. ...