Who is ‘Bittu Tabahi,’ the Indian student cleaning a polluted river and offered a job in the Netherlands?

Surendra Singh Choudhary began cleaning the polluted Ajnar River alone. Now the 20-year-old student from Madhya Pradesh has received a job offer from the Netherlands-based nonprofit The Ocean Cleanup.

Known online as “Bittu Tabahi,” Choudhary started the cleanup on January 26, India’s Republic Day. He posted before-and-after images and videos on Instagram, showing himself removing plastic, algae and other waste from the river, often without help.

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Then, when January 26 arrived, I thought it was a good day to do something meaningful... Since then, I haven't stopped and have kept at it continuously.

His work eventually drew the attention of the Biaora municipal corporation, which joined the effort and used JCB and Poclain machines to remove large amounts of waste and polythene. Digital content creator KR Talks said Choudhary had spent about ₹30,000 on the project. Choudhary had initially considered building a machine to clear the waste but lacked the money.

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I started alone; they (municipal corporation) saw what I was doing and then offered their support.

“Then, when January 26 arrived, I thought it was a good day to do something meaningful... Since then, I haven't stopped and have kept at it continuously,” he told news agency ANI. He added, “I started alone; they (municipal corporation) saw what I was doing and then offered their support.”

Choudhary also used his Instagram posts to respond to people who questioned whether one person could make a difference. His campaign reached an international audience when Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup’s founder and CEO, saw a post describing the river cleanup. Slat replied with a short offer: “Come work for us.”

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Come work for us.