Madhya Pradesh’s 20-year-old environmental activist Surendra Singh Choudhary, popularly known as Bittu Tabahi, is losing hope after finding the Ajnar River polluted again despite months of cleanup efforts.&nbsp;Choudhary gained attention for removing tonnes of garbage from a stretch of the river in Biaora, in Rajgarh district. However, waste has returned to the riverbanks, particularly after Dussehra, undoing much of his work.&nbsp;“I have been working to clean this river for the past year. Every time I have cleaned it, people have dirtied it again,” he told The Times of India. “I am starting to lose heart.” He added that he was considering focusing on his studies.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-reports-first-human-case-of-livestock-virus-shamonda-patient-dies-what-we-know-so-far-1792696598529">France reports first human case of livestock virus Shamonda, patient dies; what we know so far</a>&nbsp;<h2>Garbage returns despite months of effort</h2>On October 16, Bittu shared a video on Instagram showing plastic bags and other waste accumulating along the riverbanks. He had spent more than eight months cleaning the polluted stretch, often working alone with limited equipment and sometimes using his bare hands or plastic gloves. His efforts also left him with a severe skin infection.&nbsp;After discovering that the river had become dirty again, he expressed disappointment on social media. “I never imagined that eight months of my hard work would go to waste like this,” he wrote. Despite the setback, he resumed cleaning the river.&nbsp;In another video, Bittu explained that he had placed two dustbins near a tree along the riverbank to encourage people to dispose of their waste responsibly. When he returned, however, only one bin remained.&nbsp;“I had placed these dustbins here not for my personal use, but to give people something to dispose of waste in properly so the river doesn't get polluted again,” he said.&nbsp;Bittu’s experience highlights the limits of individual efforts when they are not supported by wider public participation and effective waste management. His repeated struggle to keep the river clean also raises questions about civic responsibility and the need for people to change their waste-disposal habits.&nbsp;His work has helped draw attention to the pollution of the Ajnar River, but keeping it clean will require more than one person’s efforts.

Environmental activist Bittu Tabahi is losing hope as garbage returns to Madhya Pradesh’s Ajnar river despite months of cleanup efforts, highlighting the challenge of tackling pollution without wider public participation.

Madhya Pradesh’s 20-year-old environmental activist Surendra Singh Choudhary, popularly known as Bittu Tabahi, is losing hope after finding the Ajnar River polluted again despite months of cleanup efforts. Choudhary gained attention for removing tonnes of garbage from a stretch of the river in Biaora, in Rajgarh district. However, waste has returned to the riverbanks, particularly after Dussehra, undoing much of his work. “I have been working to clean this river for the past year. Every time I have cleaned it, people have dirtied it again,” he told The Times of India. “I am starting to lose heart.” He added that he was considering focusing on his studies. Also Read: France reports first human case of livestock virus Shamonda, patient dies; what we know so far Garbage returns despite months of effort On October 16, Bittu shared a video on Instagram showing plastic bags and other waste accumulating along the riverbanks. He had spent more than eight months cleaning the polluted stretch, often working alone with limited equipment and sometimes using his bare hands or plastic gloves. His efforts also left him with a severe skin infection. After discovering that the river had become dirty again, he expressed disappointment on social media. “I never imagined that eight months of my hard work would go to waste like this,” he wrote. Despite the setback, he resumed cleaning the river. In another video, Bittu explained that he had placed two dustbins near a tree along the riverbank to encourage people to dispose of their waste responsibly. When he returned, however, only one bin remained. “I had placed these dustbins here not for my personal use, but to give people something to dispose of waste in properly so the river doesn't get polluted again,” he said. Bittu’s experience highlights the limits of individual efforts when they are not supported by wider public participation and effective waste management. His repeated struggle to keep the river clean also raises questions about civic responsibility and the need for people to change their waste-disposal habits. His work has helped draw attention to the pollution of the Ajnar River, but keeping it clean will require more than one person’s efforts.

Bittu Tabahi is considering giving up his Ajnar River cleanup mission as people continue dumping waste into the river, undoing months of his hard work and highlighting the need for greater civic responsibility.

One man, 8 months of work, and a river dirty again: Why Bittu Tabahi may quit

What started as one young man's quiet determination to restore a heavily polluted local river in Madhya Pradesh has captured international attention, culminating in a job invitation from a world-renowned environmental leader. Surendra Singh Choudhary, a 20-year-old B.Sc. student from Biaora in Rajgarh district popularly known online as “Bittu Tabahi” spent months single-handedly clearing piles of plastic, algae, and industrial garbage from the Ajnar River. Armed with little more than a pair of gloves, makeshift tools, and his own savings, Bittu spent around ₹30,000 on dustbins and basic equipment to revive the riverbanks. His before-and-after videos documenting the dramatic transformation of three major river ghats quickly went viral, turning a lone effort into a movement.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Never deleting this app. 20 year old Indian chad single handedly cleans up a trash filled river. Goes viral.<a href="https://x.com/BoyanSlat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BoyanSlat</a> pops up and offers him a job at <a href="https://x.com/TheOceanCleanup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheOceanCleanup</a>. <a href="https://t.co/WFCjRXbVpP">pic.twitter.com/WFCjRXbVpP</a>&mdash; Tom Osman 🐦‍⬛ (@tomosman) <a href="https://x.com/tomosman/status/2095878700801630237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bittu’s initiative caught the eye of prominent figures across the country, including industrialist Anand Mahindra and former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen, who hailed his work as "heroic". However, the story reached global heights when Boyan Slat, the founder and CEO of the Netherlands-based non-profit The Ocean Cleanup, noticed a viral post showcasing the cleaned stretch of the river.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">This young man from Biaora, M.P, was criticised for claiming to have cleaned parts of a river just in order to gain social media views. Well, we usually complain that social media rewards the trivial rather than the meaningful So If a desire for ‘likes’ can become a force for… <a href="https://t.co/ARgEhphuQN">pic.twitter.com/ARgEhphuQN</a>&mdash; anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) <a href="https://x.com/anandmahindra/status/2038467671038050676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;&nbsp;Impressed by the youth’s dedication, Slat extended a public invitation on social media, writing a simple three-word message: "Come work for us."&nbsp;The Ocean Cleanup, celebrated worldwide for developing advanced technologies to extract plastic from oceans and rivers, sees a direct parallel in Bittu’s grassroots passion. Following the public message, Bittu confirmed he received a direct call from Slat to discuss his credentials and express admiration for his effort.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/inside-the-viral-made-from-scratch-trend-taking-over-social-media-1787916913164">Inside the viral 'made-from-scratch' trend taking over social media</a>&nbsp;"My goal was never personal credit, but to inspire people and show that one individual can make a difference," Bittu shared. "If a student can clean a river with minimal resources, imagine what an entire community working together can achieve."&nbsp;From wading barefoot through toxic river sludge in a small town in central India to receiving an offer from a Dutch NGO leader, Bittu’s story underscores the transformative power of local environmental action and the global reach of digital social proof. As formalities and terms are discussed for his potential role at The Ocean Cleanup, Bittu remains dedicated to his original mission: keeping India's waterways clean, one riverbed at a time.

Surendra Singh Choudhary, a 20-year-old student from Madhya Pradesh known as "Bittu Tabahi," transformed the polluted Ajnar River through a solo cleanup effort, earning viral fame and a global job offer.

What started as one young man's quiet determination to restore a heavily polluted local river in Madhya Pradesh has captured international attention, culminating in a job invitation from a world-renowned environmental leader. Surendra Singh Choudhary, a 20-year-old B.Sc. student from Biaora in Rajgarh district popularly known online as “Bittu Tabahi” spent months single-handedly clearing piles of plastic, algae, and industrial garbage from the Ajnar River. Armed with little more than a pair of gloves, makeshift tools, and his own savings, Bittu spent around ₹30,000 on dustbins and basic equipment to revive the riverbanks. His before-and-after videos documenting the dramatic transformation of three major river ghats quickly went viral, turning a lone effort into a movement.

Surendra Singh Choudhary, a 20-year-old student from Madhya Pradesh known as "Bittu Tabahi," transformed the polluted Ajnar River through a solo cleanup effort, earning viral fame and a global job offer.

Indian student’s solo cleanup of Ajnar river earns global recognition and job offer from Netherlands

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One man, 8 months of work, and a river dirty again: Why Bittu Tabahi may quit

Indian student’s solo cleanup of Ajnar river earns job offer from Netherlands