Social media has grown into a platform where one doesn’t need to be a celebrity to reach the masses. In fact, many have gained followers in a short span after sharing their work and efforts on social media. One such case is that of Bittu Tabahi, a BSc student from Madhya Pradesh who cleaned a polluted river himself. As the pictures of his efforts went viral across social media platforms, even former England cricket team captain Kevin Pietersen couldn’t stop himself from sharing his story.
Pietersen, thoroughly impressed by Bittu’s solo effort to clean the Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh, said that this is exactly what happens when a person stops waiting for someone else to start and takes up the responsibility of getting the task done himself or herself.
“I read this story this am and wanted to share it with you! Well done, Bhai! At 21, Bittu Tabahi stepped into a polluted river, without gloves, boots or even knowing how to swim, and started cleaning it himself. On 26 January 2026, the BSc student from Madhya Pradesh began cleaning the Ajnar River near a temple in Biaora, removing plastic and other waste that had turned parts of the river into a dumping ground. He even began turning puja waste into compost and pooled money with friends to buy tools and dustbins. The effort cost him around 30,000 rupees, and at one point, he suffered infections on his hands. Then his work reached thousands online. Some accused him of doing it for likes. Bittu’s surname means “destruction.” Today, he is trying to destroy something else: water pollution. Because sometimes, change begins when one person stops waiting for someone else to start. Heroic, I say! Deserves international recognition!” Pietersen wrote in a post.
Who is Bittu Tabahi?
‘Bittu Tabahi’ (real name Surendra Singh Choudhary) is a student and environmental volunteer from Biaora in the Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh. Appalled by the heavy accumulation of plastic, algae, sludge, and foul odour near a local temple on the Ajnar River, he decided to stop waiting for official action. He launched his clean-up campaign on January 26, 2026, on Republic Day.
While he initially started with a few friends, the initiative quickly evolved into a largely solo mission. Armed with only basic tools and operating without proper safety gear-despite not knowing how to swim-he manually extracted tonnes of garbage from the river.
In fact, he spent his own money arranging cleaning supplies to restore the river.
Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, came across a post on X showcasing Bittu’s work and offered him the opportunity to work for his organisation.
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