#RealtyNewsRoundUp: To Battle Smog, Delhi Gets Back Odd-Even Rule, Bans Construction

The odd-even car rationing scheme will be enforced in Delhi for a five-day period from November 13 to 17 to curb the rising air pollution. Meanwhile, the Union environment ministry has set up a high-level committee to propose and monitor solutions to air pollution. Also, the National Green Tribunal has issued a slew of directions to deal with the situation, including banning construction and industrial activities and entry of trucks in the national capital.

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The Centre is in talks with the Tamil Nadu government to build a second airport in Chennai required by 2030-2035, Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra has said. The Chennai airport handled 18.4 million passengers in 2016, and is expected to reach its maximum capacity of 23-26 million passengers by 2020, if traffic grows at an estimated rate of 12.5 per cent.

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Central government employees can now take advance of up to Rs 25 lakh for construction or purchase of homes at a simple interest rate of 8.50 per cent, under the House Building Scheme. Earlier, the maximum borrowing limit was Rs 7.5 lakh with interest rate slabs ranging from 6 per cent to 9.5 per cent. The amount for expansion of the house has also been revised to a maximum of Rs 10 lakh against the earlier Rs 1.8 lakh.

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Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has laid the foundation stone for a skywalk and foot-over- bridge at Delhi's ITO and said the government planned to launch four such decongestion projects in the national capital. The housing and urban affairs minister said the skywalk and foot-over-bridge at ITO are among the five projects for which Rs 643.58 crore will be provided from his ministry.

Source: Media reports