Who is Bittu Tabahi, the 21-year-old BSc student from Madhya Pradesh who is going viral for cleaning the garbage-filled Ajnar river with his bare hands, earning nationwide praise and recognition from CM Mohan Yadav for his efforts?

A 21-year-old BSc student from Madhya Pradesh has drawn national attention for taking on a civic problem almost single-handedly, spending the past seven months cleaning the garbage-choked Ajnar river in Biaora. Known online as ‘Bittu Tabahi’, Surendra Singh Choudhary has removed plastic bottles, weeds and other waste with his bare hands, without heavy machinery or protective gear.Cleaning the river with bare handsWithout heavy machinery or protective gear, Bittu often removed the waste with his bare hands, putting his health at risk in the process.His persistent efforts have helped restore a section of the river and earned him widespread praise across the country. On Saturday, Bittu was invited to meet Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at his residence in Bhopal, where the two shared a warm exchange and Yadav assured him of all possible government support.CM Mohan Yadav praises Bittu's effortsThe chief minister also shared a video of their meeting on X, describing Bittu as a “son of Biaora” who restored Ajnala, the river stretch passing through Biaora, to its original form through sheer determination and effort.Yadav said Bittu had also sent a larger message that one person’s resolve can bring meaningful change.Netherlands job offerThere were also reports that the CEO of an organisation from the Netherlands had offered Bittu a job. However, Bittu said he had only heard about the offer through media reports."I am yet to receive any information about it first hand," he told TOI.'My sole objective is to keep my hometown clean'Encouraged by his success, Bittu has now decided to expand his efforts. His parents work in the health department, and he remains focused on improving his hometown."My sole objective is to keep my hometown clean. I have decided to take my work to other public places," he said.How Bittu started his cleanliness missionBittu began his mission on Republic Day this year after becoming frustrated with the civic conditions around him. While people complained about the mess, he felt that no one, including the municipal administration, was taking action.The college student decided to step in himself, cleaning garbage piles from streets and removing weeds from water bodies.Littering remains a challengeHis efforts eventually attracted national attention. However, the work has also brought frustration, as some of the same people he is trying to help continue to litter.During his interaction with the chief minister, Bittu spoke about the disappointment of seeing people dump garbage into the river again despite the effort involved in cleaning it."I don't know why people keep dumping waste into the river," he said, his voice betraying anger.Civic authorities step inThe local municipal corporation has now stepped up its efforts, deploying JCBs and Poclain machines to clear waste piles from the streets.However, the larger challenge remains: changing habitual littering and building a sense of collective responsibility towards public spaces.