MP loco pilots fail breath test, told to not use sanitisers

The order was issued by Bhopal Division office of West Central Railways to loco pilots on Saturday after alcohol based sanitisers started affecting the result of Breath Alcohol Test (BAT).

Updated on: Jul 21, 2020, 10:00:40 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Shruti Tomar

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The railways has asked loco pilots not to use alcohol based sanitisers or use it half an hour before reporting to duty. The order was issued by Bhopal Division office of West Central Railways to loco pilots on Saturday after alcohol based sanitisers started affecting the result of Breath Alcohol Test (BAT).

Their blood reports suggested that there was no alcohol content. (HT photo)

Their blood reports suggested that there was no alcohol content, said the officer.

Later, railway officers consulted experts and found that the breathalyzer machine showed presence of alcohol in the loco pilots breath because of smell of alcohol present in sanitisers.

Bhopal, divisional railway manager, Uday Borwanker said, “The BAT is essential because we can’t take any risk when it comes to life of so many people and it is necessary for a loco pilot to be attentive and in his all senses.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More