11 July : As a part of the ongoing Van Mahotsav or the tree plantation week celebrations throughout the country, All India radio, Kohima today carried out a mass social work cum tree plantation drive at its high power transmitter HPT centre at Zubza. In a bid to renew forest covers in the state, around thirty AIR Kohima officials led by senior officer Mr. Shilubu Zeliang took part in the tree plantation drive. Around 500 eco-friendly saplings of different species including papaya and banana were planted during the drive. Mr. Zeliang said the plantation drive was essentially carried out to protect land erosion in the area and beautify the compound of the HPT centre. Van Mahotsav is an annual pan-Indian tree planting festival, occupying a week in the month of July. During this event millions of trees are planted. It was initiated in 1950 by K. M. Munshi, the then Union Minister for Agriculture and Food to create an enthusiasm in the mind of the populace for the conservation of forests and planting of trees.