Who Is Bittu Tabahi? 21-Year-Old Who Cleaned Polluted Ajnar River Meets CM Mohan Yadav (Videos)
Surendra Singh Choudhary, known as 'Bittu Tabahi,' who single-handedly cleaned Madhya Pradesh's polluted Ajnar River, met CM Mohan Yadav in Bhopal, receiving praise for his months-long effort. His initiative also caught global attention, earning him a job offer from The Ocean Cleanup CEO Boyan Slat.
Surendra Singh Choudhary, the 21-year-old from Madhya Pradesh who won widespread praise online for taking it upon himself to clean the trash-filled Ajnar River, has now received recognition from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Choudhary, popularly known as Bittu Tabahi, recently met the chief minister at his residence in Bhopal, where Yadav praised his determination and efforts towards restoring the river.
CM Mohan Yadav Praises Bittu Tabahi's Efforts
Sharing a video of their interaction on X, Yadav wrote in Hindi, which translates to English as, 'Had a warm interaction at my Bhopal residence with Surendra Singh Choudhary, popularly known as Bittu Tabahi, a son of Biaora. Through his determination and strong resolve, Bittu has not only cleaned the Ajnar River but has also sent a powerful message to society that meaningful change does not always require a large crowd, sometimes, one sincere initiative is enough to make a difference.' The Power of One: How 'Bittu Tabahi's Solo River Clean-up Sparks Municipal Action in MP's Rajgarh.
MP Boy Goes Viral for Cleaning Polluted River
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The chief minister further said that Choudhary's initiative strengthened the spirit of the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan, aimed at conserving and rejuvenating water sources through public participation. Yadav added, 'I am confident that the commitment he has demonstrated through his work on the Ajnar River will inspire young people across the state to take responsibility for protecting and preserving water bodies in their own surroundings. The entire state is proud of you.' Video: BJP MP Janardan Mishra Cleans Toilet With Bare Hands at Girls’ School in MP’s Rewa.
'Bittu Tabahi' Who Single-Handedly Cleaned Polluted Ajnar River Meets MP CM Mohan Yadav
भोपाल निवास पर ब्यावरा के बेटे सुरेंद्र सिंह चौधरी ‘बिट्टू तबाही’ से आत्मीय भेंट की।
बिट्टू ने अपनी दृढ़ इच्छाशक्ति और संकल्प से सिर्फ अजनार नदी की सफाई ही नहीं की, बल्कि अपने प्रयासों से समाज को यह संदेश भी दिया है कि बदलाव के लिए बड़ी भीड़ नहीं, एक सच्ची पहल ही काफी है।
आपकी… pic.twitter.com/hQVbdVYMMf
— Dr Mohan Yadav (@DrMohanYadav51) September 5, 2026
Job Offer From The Ocean Cleanup CEO
Choudhary's work has also attracted attention beyond India. Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of Netherlands-based non-profit The Ocean Cleanup, offered him a job after coming across a post highlighting his efforts. An X user had shared before-and-after pictures of the river, writing that a 20-year-old Indian man, Surendra Singh Choudhary, known as Bittu Tabahi, had been cleaning the heavily polluted Ajnar River himself for months. Reacting to the post, Slat simply wrote, 'Come work for us.'
Dutch CEO Offers Job to Bittu Tabahi
Come work for us @Surendr75950620
— Boyan Slat (@BoyanSlat) September 4, 2026
Who Is Bittu Tabahi?
Choudhary has documented his river-cleaning efforts through several videos on Instagram. The clips show him removing plastic waste, algae and accumulated debris from the water, often working alone. He reportedly began the cleanup mission in January and gradually transformed sections of the polluted river. According to digital content creator KR Talks, Choudhary has spent around INR 30,000 on the project so far.
His initiative had earlier drawn praise from industrialist Anand Mahindra. In March, Mahindra wrote, '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 good that's fine with me. Bittu Tabahi from Biaora is my #MondayMotivation.'
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2026 10:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
