Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Indian Student’s Ajnar River Cleanup Wins Global Recognition, Job Offer
Surendra Singh Choudhary is a 20-year-old student from Madhya Pradesh.
He saw that the Ajnar River was badly polluted.
He decided to clean it by himself.
He used gloves, simple tools, and money from his own savings.
He removed plastic, algae, and industrial waste from three river areas.
Videos of his work spread widely online.
Anand Mahindra and Kevin Pietersen praised his effort.
Boyan Slat, who leads The Ocean Cleanup, invited him to work for the organization.
Choudhary says he wants to show that one person can inspire a whole community.
Surendra Singh Choudhary, a 20-year-old B.Sc. student, cleaned polluted sections of Madhya Pradesh’s Ajnar River.
Known online as “Bittu Tabahi,” he removed plastic, algae, and industrial garbage using basic equipment.
He spent about ₹30,000 of his own savings on dustbins and cleanup tools.
Videos showing the transformation of three river ghats attracted attention from Anand Mahindra and Kevin Pietersen.
The Ocean Cleanup founder Boyan Slat invited Choudhary to work for the Netherlands-based nonprofit after seeing his viral cleanup post.
- Who
- Surendra Singh Choudhary, also known online as “Bittu Tabahi,” and Boyan Slat, founder of The Ocean Cleanup.
- What
- Choudhary independently cleaned polluted stretches of the Ajnar River and received a public job invitation from The Ocean Cleanup.
- When
- The cleanup took place over several months, followed by international attention after his videos went viral.
- Where
- The Ajnar River near Biaora in Rajgarh district, Madhya Pradesh, India; the job invitation came from the Netherlands-based The Ocean Cleanup.
- Why
- Choudhary wanted to restore the river, inspire others, and demonstrate that one person can make a difference.
- Volunteer
- Surendra Singh Choudhary, a 20-year-old B.Sc. student
- Online name
- “Bittu Tabahi”
- River
- Ajnar River
- Cleanup spending
- Approximately ₹30,000 from Choudhary’s own savings
- Waste removed
- Plastic, algae, and industrial garbage
- Recognition
- Praise from Anand Mahindra and Kevin Pietersen
- Job invitation
- Boyan Slat publicly invited Choudhary to work for The Ocean Cleanup