Madhya Pradesh man cleans filthy river by himself. Before and after pics are viral

Surendra Singh Choudhry, known as Bittu Tabahi, has been cleaning the polluted Ajnar River himself. His effort has drawn praise online while fuelling questions about municipal responsibility.A man from Madhya Pradesh cleaned a whole stretch of filthy river just by himself. (Photos: Instagram/@bittutabahi)Madhya Pradesh’s Ajnar River has become so polluted that a 20-year-old decided to stop waiting for someone else to clean it. Armed with basic supplies, Surendra Singh Choudhry decided to pull the plastic and waste out of the river himself. Known online as Bittu Tabahi, Choudhry has been cleaning the heavily polluted river, picking plastic, discarded waste and other rubbish from the water as well as the surrounding public spaces. And he is not doing it as part of an official campaign. He is paying for the supplies himself and turning up to do the job on his own.In a post shared on Instagram, Choudhry shared a shocking before and after picture of the river. While the first picture shows a grim picture, the second picture gives people an idea of how one person’s determination can bring a huge change in our environment.See the post: But beneath the praise is a more uncomfortable question: why does a 20-year-old have to do this in the first place?The sight of one person cleaning a public river has prompted social media users to question the role of municipal authorities and the larger issue of accountability. One comment put the frustration bluntly: “It's a matter of shame for our municipality.” Another user questioned why an individual was taking on work that local authorities have both the resources and responsibility to undertake.“Municipality accountability finally being discussed. In this country, in every city, who regularly fail to maintain roads, rivers, garbage regulation, drainage, illegal buildings. They should be named, fined, and fired. One person can do it but local govt with duty and resources,” the comment read.His efforts have earned him considerable attention online, with more than 296,000 followers on Instagram. Industrialist Anand Mahindra also highlighted his work in March, bringing further attention to the young man's efforts.For now, though, Choudhry continues to show up. Each piece of plastic he pulls out is a small victory, but also a reminder that keeping a river clean should never have to depend on one determined 20-year-old deciding to do what an entire system is meant to handle.- EndsPublished By: Srimoyee ChowdhuryPublished On: Sep 3, 2026 14:28 IST