The City's environment is no different from any Indian Urban body with ancient origin. The same features of overcrowded localities with little room for passage for any public convenience is abundantly encountered in most part of the city area. Until recent times Cuttack city's faecal disposal was by scavenging and presently in most areas the house hold sewage is flushed or washed into the open road side drains which lead to the main open drains. Due to unsystematic solid waste evacuation, most of these wastes find their way into the drains clogging and choking vast stretches of the open drains resulting in wastewater flowing along alleyways.

In earlier times there were a number of kattas and ponds which used to retain and moderate the storm water runoff into the drains. These ponds were progressingly filled and structures raised over the area causing flooding of adjoining localities even during moderate rains. The problem gets magnified due to inadequate capacity of drains and lack of escape vents, which need remodeling to be effective. The city has many scattered low lying pockets with little scope for natural drainage.