Who Is Bittu Tabahi? A River-Cleaning Effort Led Him To A Dutch Job Offer

A 21-year-old man's simple effort to clean a heavily polluted river in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district has now turned into a story of inspiration. Surendra Singh Chaudhary, who is known as Bittu Tabahi online, recently went viral for cleaning the Ajnar River. His efforts not only earned him praise but also a job offer from a Dutch NGO. The proposal came from Boyan Slat, the founder and CEO of Netherlands-based environmental organisation The Ocean Cleanup.Bittu Tabahi took it upon himself to clean a river clogged with plastic waste, algae and other debris. His work gained traction online after videos documenting the clean-up began circulating on social media.Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, came across a post on X showcasing Choudhary's work. The post identified him as a 20-year-old Indian who had spent months independently cleaning the polluted river and featured before-and-after images showing the transformation. Impressed by his initiative, Slat responded with a simple invitation: "Come work for us."Come work for us @Surendr75950620— Boyan Slat (@BoyanSlat) September 4, 2026Who is Bittu Tabahi?'Bittu Tabahi' 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 cleanup campaign on January 26, 2026, on Republic Day.While he initially started with a few friends, it quickly evolved into a largely solo mission. Armed with only basic tools and operating without proper safety gear while not knowing how to swim, he manually extracted tonnes of garbage from the river.'Bittu Tabahi' spent his own savings on cleaning supplies. The gruelling work took a severe toll on his health. He suffered through several limb infections, skin itching and encounters with s snakes.'Bittu' comes from a humble family and stays with his parents. He is currently a second-year student.The efforts have turned him into a local hero, catching the attention of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. He invited 'Bittu Tabahi' to the CM House, where the two met on Friday night. Yadav praised his initiative and also assured him of the government's support.