Latur (PTI): A "library" of around 100 indigenous and rare trees has been set up at a college in Maharashtra's Latur city with an aim to encourage students to know more about these plants and preserve them, officials said.

Under the initiative, medicinal as well as some of the popular trees, including bibwa, ghatbor, bahava, bamboo, mango and peepal, have been planted by students on the campus of the Rajarshi Shahu College, they said.

Latur Collector Varsha Thakur-Ghuge inaugurated the tree 'library' on Tuesday in the presence of the college principal, local administration officials, teachers and students.

The students have planted around 100 species of various indigenous and rare trees saplings in pots and tagged information brochures along with them.

The aim behind this initiative is to encourage students to preserve these plants, look at them daily, get knowledge about them and identify them, the college principal, Dr Mahadev Gavhane, said.

The collector appreciated the initiative and said activities like tree plantation, seed bank were being implemented by the district administration to promote tree plantation in Latur.

Such libraries of rare trees will play an important role for the youth to understand the importance of trees. Other colleges should also launch such a concept, Ghuge said.

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Mayabunder: A Pawan Hans helicopter crashed into the sea near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Tuesday morning.

The helicopter went down about two kilometres away from the helipad at around 9:45 am. All persons on board are reported safe.

The cause of the incident is not immediately known, and further details are awaited.

Pawan Hans officials said necessary protocols were initiated following the incident.