According to media reports, Sahas Manch, an NGO working in the area, has blamed that short-sighted government policy and shoddy implementation of its schemes are the major underlying factors behind the tragedy. Due to the carelessness of the government officials in measuring and leveling of the land for the Padkai scheme, the hill slopes were flattened and trees were cut down to develop cultivable plots.
They also said that the land was flattened by uprooting the trees which loosens the soil, and stone binds were not built to contain erosion, all these factors caused the landslide.
According to an official data, it has been said that 28,000 trees were cut for the projects discussed above by the government, but the unofficial figures puts the count to around three lakhs, as reported by TOI.