Industrialist Anand Mahindra has praised the collective effort behind the clean-up of the Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh, while also highlighting the work of 21-year-old Surendra Singh Choudhary, popularly known as Bittu Tabahi.
(Also read: Bittu Tabahi connects with Dutch NGO on video call after CEO offers him job on X. Watch)
Choudhary had earlier drawn widespread attention on social media after videos showed him stepping into the trash-filled river and removing waste himself. His initiative later inspired wider participation, with local residents and other stakeholders joining efforts to clean the water body.
Taking to X, Mahindra said the story stood out to him because it had grown beyond the efforts of one individual and turned into a community-driven initiative.
“I’ve often applauded young people like Bittu Tabahi who simply decided they’d had enough of seeing our water bodies neglected, rolled up their sleeves and got to work. I hope more and more people follow their example. But this story caught my attention for a slightly different reason. This wasn’t about one individual. It was about a whole community coming together. Local citizens, civic authorities, NGOs and other stakeholders, all pitching in to bring a river back to life. There’s something very powerful about that. When we stop asking “Who is going to fix this?” and start asking “How can WE fix this?”, things begin to change. So today, it’s not an individual but an entire set of stakeholders forming a community that provides my #MondayMotivation.”
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{{/usCountry}}Who is Bittu Tabahi?
Choudhary hails from Biaora in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district. He shared several videos documenting his efforts to remove garbage from the Ajnar River, with later clips showing a visibly cleaner stretch of the water body.
His initiative went viral and earned praise from several people, including Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
Sharing a video of his interaction with Choudhary 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.”
(Also read: Bittu Tabahi says people are littering less after he went viral: ‘Thoda antar aaya hai')
‘People are littering less’
In an earlier conversation with HT.com, Choudhary said he had begun noticing a change in people’s behaviour after his videos gained attention.
He claimed that fewer people were now dumping waste in the area, suggesting that the clean-up drive had not only changed the appearance of the river but had also encouraged greater awareness about keeping it clean.