New Delhi: Surendra Singh Choudhary, popularly known online as Bittu Tabahi, has announced plans to take his river-cleaning mission beyond Madhya Pradesh after receiving a job offer from Dutch environmental organisation The Ocean Cleanup, founded by Boyan Slat.
In a new Instagram video, Bittu thanked followers for supporting his months-long effort to clean the heavily polluted Ajnar River in Rajgarh district and asked them to suggest which state he should visit next. “I would like to visit different states now to clean up there as well,” he said.
His appeal quickly drew requests for Bihar, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and several other regions, turning the comments into a crowdsourced list of places needing environmental action.
Who Is Bittu Tabahi?
A second-year student from Biaora, Bittu began cleaning the Ajnar River on January 26, 2026, after being disturbed by plastic, algae, sludge and foul odour near a local temple.
What started with a few friends became largely a solo effort, with Bittu spending his own savings on supplies and manually removing tonnes of waste without proper safety equipment despite not knowing how to swim.
The gruelling work reportedly caused limb infections and skin irritation, while he also encountered snakes. He documented the transformation through before-and-after images, which eventually caught Slat’s attention, prompting the “Come work for us” offer.
His efforts also drew praise from Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who met him at the CM House and assured government support. Whether Bittu accepts the Dutch offer, continues his India-wide cleanup mission or combines both remains unclear.
