- Bittu Tabahi began solo mission cleaning Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh.
- His 'Before' and 'After' videos went viral on social media.
- Expanded cleanup to Yamuna, Gurugram, Noida, removing tons of waste.
Bittu Tabahi: Surendra Singh Chaudhary, popularly known as Bittu Tabahi, showed the world that you don't need heavy funding to make an impact; just a shovel, smartphone, and courage to bring about change. What started as an attempt to clean up a local water body gradually became his solo mission, grabbing social media attention through documented "Before" and "After" videos on Instagram.
Famous for something non-glamorous, the 21-year-old BSc student Bittu Tabahi started his cleaning journey targeting the heavily polluted Ajnar River in Biaora, Madhya Pradesh on January 26, 2026. With no formal backing, he spent Rs 30,000 of his own money and a little help from his friends to pull plastic, algae, sludge, and other waste out of the heavily polluted Ajnar River.
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Video Credit: (Bittu Tabahi Instagram)
But Why Bittu Tabahi Decided To Start River Cleaning Mission?
The Ajnar River, located in Madhya Pradesh's Biaora in Rajgarh district, has been heavily polluted with plastic waste, algae, sludge, and other debris. The accumulation was quite visible around a local temple, which troubled Chaudhary. While many may choose to ignore it and walk past, Tabahi took a different route. He began cleaning the river and continued working despite several health risks involved in spending prolonged periods around polluted water.
He has reportedly suffered infections and skin irritation and has also encountered snakes while carrying out the work. With an unconventional approach, with no fleet of machinery or large environmental organisation backing him, he kept on removing waste himself. And that is why his "Before" and "After" made headlines on social media.
Recognising his efforts, he also received a job offer from Boyan Slat, the founder and CEO of the Netherlands-based environmental organisation, The Ocean Cleanup. After the fame, Bittu has now launched a river cleanup campaign along the Yamuna River in the national capital, Delhi.
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Removed 585 kg of Garbage Under Clean Up Yamuna Campaign
Continuing his campaign beyond Madhya Pradesh, Bittu Tabahi took his movement to take up the Yamuna cleanup drive in Delhi. Sharing an Instagram video on September 21, he said, "As you all know, I had undertaken a mission to travel to different states and spread awareness about cleanliness. I really wanted to come to Delhi to clean up the Yamuna River".
The Delhi initiative was organised by Philip Morris, which came in his support through his viral cleanliness videos. Disclosing the details through his Instagram profile, he said that the drive is a part of the World Cleanup Day (September 20) and will last for three days. On the first day, with help from dedicated volunteers, he cleaned roughly 585 kilograms of waste from the riverbank.
"20 September, World Cleanup Day. Four and a half hours of cleaning on the banks of the Yamuna, and together removing 585 kg of garbage," he wrote as the caption of the video.
His life's goal is to visit states and spread awareness about cleanliness. Thanking people for their diligent work, he wrote, "Flowers, garlands, worship items, and plastic were all scattered on the pier. The people around also came, helped, and the whole shore was cleared. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who came."
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Video Credit: (Bittu Tabahi Instagram)
Bittu Tabahi's Campaign Transforms Khedki Daula And Yuva Shakti Ghat
Following his initial cleanup drive in Delhi, Bittu shifted the focus to Gurugram and Noida. In Gurugram, volunteers executed a massive waste-clearance drive on a heavily littered stretch near Khedki Daula. The targeted effort resulted in the manual removal of 2,435 kilograms of garbage, primarily discarded commercial and consumer plastics.
For the final phase of the Clean Up Yamuna, the campaign moved to Noida's Yuva Shakti Ghat in Sector 94. The team tackled severe shoreline pollution to wrap up the intensive three-day environmental sprint. Together, these consecutive targets allowed the campaign to remove thousands of kilograms of localised waste and ignite a powerful wave of civic awareness across the national capital region.
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Video Credit: (Bittu Tabahi Instagram)
Internet Hails Bittu Tabahi
While Bittu's work has been inspirational, social media has some questions also. With over 1 million followers, Bittu has gained massive support from the online world. "Bro, this voice-over is much better; you are doing a great job," one of the users stated. Some suggested he wear safety gear to protect his health. "Keep up the good work. Please use personal protective equipment (PPE) when performing the good work!" a user suggested, adding, "Thank you for taking the initiative of doing this work!"
Bittu Tabahi's cleanup campaign has now become a social media talking point. His efforts received support from the Madhya Pradesh government as well, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav meeting him personally, praising him, and also assuring him of help from the government.
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