Bittu May Quit River Cleanup After Repeated Littering

Surendra Singh Choudhary, popularly known as Bittu Tabahi, has expressed disappointment
over repeated littering along the Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh’s Biaora, saying he may
abandon his cleanup mission after months of effort failed to prevent people from dumping waste
into the waterbody.

The 20-year-old college student gained national and international attention on social media for
single-handedly cleaning a stretch of the heavily polluted Ajnar river in Rajgarh district. However, his enthusiasm has taken a hit as garbage continues to accumulate along the banks. The situation reportedly worsened after Dussehra.

“I have been working to clean this river for the past year. Every time I have cleaned it, people
have dirtied it again,” Bittu said, expressing frustration over the recurring problem. He added
that he is beginning to lose heart and was considering focusing on his studies instead.

Bittu began his cleanup drive on January 26, initially working alongside a few friends before
continuing largely on his own. Without a formal campaign or substantial institutional backing at
the outset, he used his own money to purchase basic tools and supplies to remove waste from
the river.

His efforts attracted widespread attention on social media, with videos showing him removing
plastic, household garbage and other waste from the polluted waterbody. Bittu even installed
two dustbins along the riverbank. However, one of the bins subsequently went missing. During
another cleanup conducted with the local municipal team, he also found an Indian national flag
among the discarded waste.

Rajgarh collector Girish Mishra has now assured Bittu of administrative support. The collector
said that the officials would prepare a roadmap for cleaning the entire river. Bittu welcomed the
assurance but maintained that government intervention alone would not solve the problem. He
stressed that residents must also stop dumping waste and understand that keeping public
spaces clean is a collective responsibility.

Bittu’s struggle serves as a reminder that environmental conservation cannot depend on the
efforts of a single volunteer. Unless public behaviour changes alongside administrative action,
even the most determined cleanup campaigns risk becoming a recurring battle against the same pollution.