Surendra Singh Choudhary, the 20-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.
(Also read: Bittu Tabahi, who single-handedly cleaned trash-filled river, gets job offer from Dutch CEO: ‘Come work for us’)
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 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.
{{/usCountry}}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.
{{/usCountry}}“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,” Yadav added.
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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 and wrote, “A 20-year-old Indian man, Surendra Singh Choudhry, known as ‘Bittu Tabahi,’ has been cleaning the heavily polluted Ajnar River himself for months.”
Reacting to the post, Slat simply wrote, “Come work for us.”
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 ₹30,000 on the project so far.
(Also read: Gen Z cleans polluted river in MP, shows before-and-after transformation: ‘Sirf videos nahi banaye, kaam bhi kiya')
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.”