Tête-à-tête with a young scientist ahead of World Earth Day

Bhatkal

The spectre of global warming no longer whispers from a distant horizon—it presses close, shaping the air we breathe and the waters that sustain us. Yet, in the quiet interstices of this crisis, away from applause and attention, a generation of young Indians is steadily rewriting the narrative. Among them is a son of Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada, now a scientist at the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi—working to secure a more sustainable tomorrow, particularly for India’s stressed waters.

At the heart of this effort stands Syed Mohammed Bilal, an environmental scientist who leads a NABL-accredited laboratory at CPCB dedicated to physicochemical analysis of water. Here, science decodes the health of rivers, drains and effluents that define the nation’s ecological pulse. Bilal’s journey is shaped by both chance and choice. Though rooted in Bhatkal, he grew up in Palakkad, Kerala. Cracking the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) entrance was not a childhood ambition but a turn sparked by a newspaper advertisement, encouraged by his parents.

His academic journey at IISER Thiruvananthapuram led him to CPCB, where he aligned scientific training with environmental protection. At the Central Water Laboratory, Bilal and his team analyse samples from industrial discharge, sewage channels and treatment plants across parameters such as COD, BOD, pH and TSS. His role also involves ensuring compliance, auditing laboratories under ISO standards and strengthening systems that uphold accuracy and safety. India generates over 72,000 million litres of sewage daily, yet less than a third is treated.

While initiatives like Namami Gange and AMRUT 2.0 aim to bridge gaps, Bilal stresses that technology alone is not enough. Emerging pollutants like microplastics demand urgent attention alongside rigorous monitoring. On World Earth Day, which falls on April 22, Bilal’s message is clear: the responsibility to protect the planet lies with the present generation, and the time to act is now.