Indian environmental activist expresses heartbreak after finding Ajnar River polluted again following eight months of solo cleanup

INDIA: Indian environmental activist Surendra Singh Choudhary, popularly known as Bittu Tabahi, has resumed cleaning the Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh after discovering that plastic bags and other rubbish had accumulated along its banks again, undoing much of his previous work.

Bittu, 20, spent eight months cleaning a stretch of the river in Rajgarh district between January and September 2026.

According to Startuppedia, he carried out the work largely on his own, without specialised equipment, removing tonnes of waste from the river and its surroundings.

On 13 October, he shared an Instagram video showing rubbish scattered along the riverbanks, expressing disappointment at the condition of the waterway after months of effort.

“I never imagined that eight months of my hard work would go to waste like this,” he wrote in the caption.

The video had received approximately 1.9 million views as of 15 October, according to the figures provided.

Bittu returns to the river despite the setback

Rather than abandoning the effort, Bittu began removing the newly accumulated rubbish.

In the video, he was seen entering the water to collect waste despite not knowing how to swim.

“I don’t know how to swim, but I still step into the river to remove the garbage,” he said in Hindi.

He also appealed to his followers for suggestions on how to remove larger quantities of waste more efficiently, highlighting the practical challenges of continuing the cleanup.

His return to the river has drawn renewed attention to the difficulty of maintaining cleaner public spaces when rubbish continues to accumulate after cleanup operations.

Supporters praise his determination

Many commenters responded with encouragement, praising Bittu for continuing his work despite the disappointing outcome.

Another described him as a genuine influencer.

A third expressed frustration over what they saw as a lack of recognition for his efforts in India.

Others said the sight of the river becoming polluted again would have been deeply discouraging.

Commenters expressed support for Bittu’s persistence, with many others praising his willingness to continue addressing an environmental problem despite the apparent reversal of his earlier progress.

Others question government responsibility

Not all commenters believed Bittu should continue carrying the burden of cleaning the river himself.

Some argued that the responsibility should fall on the authorities, including preventing people from dumping rubbish in the first place.

One commenter urged him to prioritise his education and seek official intervention instead of continuing to clean the river alone:

Another directly questioned the authorities’ response.

Social media users raised a broader question about whether individual cleanup efforts can produce lasting results without sustained waste management, enforcement against littering and measures to prevent rubbish from returning to cleaned areas.

While Bittu’s work has drawn widespread attention, the recurrence of waste along the Ajnar River illustrates the challenge of maintaining a waterway’s condition after a cleanup.

Previous cleanup campaigns brought wider recognition

The Ajnar River campaign is not Bittu’s first effort to remove waste from polluted public spaces.

He previously worked with a team of around 100 people to clean Turahalli Forest near Bengaluru.

He has also participated in cleanup campaigns in Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai and other cities.

During a three-day cleanup campaign in Delhi in September, he reportedly collected approximately 585kg of waste with a team.

His work has attracted attention from prominent figures, including industrialist Anand Mahindra, who highlighted his efforts on X.

In September, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also felicitated Bittu and praised his work to clean the Ajnar River.

The Hindustan Times also reported that he had received a job offer from a Dutch environmental organisation. Separately, Boyan Slat, founder of The Ocean Cleanup, has reportedly offered him a job.

Bittu’s social media following has grown alongside the attention surrounding his cleanup campaigns.

He currently has approximately 1.9 million followers on Instagram.

His latest video shows that the work at the Ajnar River remains unfinished.

After returning from cleanup campaigns elsewhere, he found rubbish along the waterway again and began removing it once more.

His decision to resume the effort has renewed support for his work while prompting questions about how authorities and communities can prevent waste from returning to areas that have already been cleaned.