Surendra Singh Choudhary, known online as Bittu Tabahi , has been cleaning ghats along the polluted Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh since January 2026. The 21-year-old college student has been doing the work single-handedly, long before his cleaning videos started gaining attention online.
“I grew up here, so I used to see the river. That eventually led him to start cleaning the area himself. He would usually spend three to four hours a day cleaning and sometimes stayed longer during the colder months. When Bittu first began, he did not have the tools needed for the work. He gradually spent his own money to buy equipment and continued with the cleaning. The work was not always easy. “The water was so dirty that I used to get sick many times. His family was also unaware of what he was doing initially. “Gali mein kachra nahi fenk rahe. He added that some people still throw garbage into the river, while others have stopped doing so. “Nadi mein kuch log fenk dete hain, kuch log nahi fenkte. For Bittu, however, the attention has not changed the work itself.
He began the mission on January 26, 2026, and has since worked on three ghats. (Also Read: MP CM meets Bittu Tabahi, who single-handedly cleaned trash-filled river: ‘Entire state is proud of you’ ) The amount of time required varied from one ghat to another.
Bittu said he grew up around the river and often visited the area behind a temple, where he would see garbage lying around. I used to go behind the temple and see the dirt, so it didn’t look good,” he said. Bittu said the first took around two to three months, while the other two also took considerable time. Bittu recalled seeing snakes near the trees while cleaning and said the dirty water also affected his health. I had an infection and I still have it,” he said. Bittu said he would tell them he was going out to play cricket, while he would actually go to the river. Speaking to HindustanTimes.com, Bittu said he has noticed some changes since his cleaning work started getting attention online. “Thoda antar aaya,” he said, pointing to a change in people’s behaviour around the river and nearby areas. Samajhdar log nahi fenkte,” he said. (Also Read: Bittu Tabahi who single-handedly cleaned trash-filled river gets job offer from Dutch CEO: ‘Come work for us’ ) The increased attention has also brought some practical support. Bittu said the government helped provide him with cleaning tools, something he had earlier been managing largely on his own. He said he plans to continue cleaning and take up more such efforts in the future. “Kaam toh kaam hai, aage abh aur kuch karenge.”
