MANALI: A double-lane Kullu-Manali national highway may be a boon for commuters, but on the contrary, it will destroy hundreds of trees and the forest department is considering transplantation to save some small trees.The project to widen the highway which also includes building of bridges , erecting high retaining and breast walls is curently underway. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has acquired both forest and private lands for the purpose. Hundreds of small, medium and large trees of various species will be cut to make way for the highway.Kullu divisional forest officer Dr Neeraj Chadha said a proposal has been sent to the government and final permission to cut the trees is awaited. "It may take a week or so. Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation (HPFC) will cut the tree. The money earned after the sale of wood would be given to NHAI after deducting labour and other charges. We shall try our best to save the small trees which can be transplanted in other areas," he said.Most of the developed nations have various tree transplanting techniques and special machines for the purpose. As Himachal doesn't have any such technique, small trees are uprooted manually while young trees are dug out with the help of excavator machines.The roadside of the Kullu-Manali highway has trees like poplar, deodar, willow and robinia. Hundreds of deodar trees have been planted in recent years. Growing deodar is very difficult and the young trees will be sacrificed for the highway. Chadha said the forest department will try its best to transplant as many trees as possible.Himachal forest minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri said, "Development always claims lives of some trees. But we should plant more trees to compensate for the losses."

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