- Surendra Singh Chaudhary began cleaning the polluted Ajnar River in Biaora in 2026
- He has cleaned the river largely alone despite health risks and snake encounters
- Local municipality supports Chaudhary by providing machinery for waste removal
A 21-year-old BSc student from Madhya Pradesh has drawn attention on social media for taking up the task of cleaning the polluted Ajnar River in Biaora. Surendra Singh Chaudhary, known on social media as "Bittu Tabahi", began the campaign on January 26, 2026, and has been cleaning waste and debris from the river largely on his own. His efforts have now received support from the local municipality, while Ocean Cleanup CEO Boyan Slat reacted to a post about his work by inviting him to join the organisation.
His reaction came in response to a post featuring photographs of Bittu and the river he cleaned. The photographs showed the condition of the river before and after the cleanup. Reacting to the post, Ocean Cleanup CEO Boyan Slat wrote, "Come work for us."
According to news agency ANI, Chaudhary has continued cleaning the river despite health risks and encounters with snakes. He has also faced infections in his limbs while carrying out the clean-up near a local temple.
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His efforts have attracted attention on social media, where he has shared photographs showing the condition of the river before and after the clean-up.
Biaora Municipal Corporation Sub-Engineer Rupesh Kumar Netam said the municipality has supported Chaudhary's campaign by providing heavy machinery to remove accumulated waste.
"There is a young man named Surendra Singh Chaudhary who regularly cleans the Ajnar River in Biaora, the municipality also provides him with support in this effort," Mr Netam said, according to ANI.
