Twenty-one-year-old Indian youth Surendra Singh Chowdhury, popularly known as ‘Bittu Tabahi’, has gained widespread attention on social media after taking on the task of cleaning a polluted river almost entirely by himself. His efforts eventually caught the attention of Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of the Netherlands-based environmental organisation The Ocean Cleanup, who offered Surendra an opportunity to work with the organisation.
The Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district had been severely polluted for years, with sections of the river filled with plastic waste, algae, mud and other garbage. The area around a local temple was particularly unhygienic, with foul odours causing difficulties for nearby residents.
Unwilling to wait for government intervention, Surendra decided to take action himself. He began cleaning the river on January 26, 2026, India’s Republic Day. Although a few friends initially joined him, he eventually continued the effort largely on his own.
Using basic tools and his own savings to purchase equipment, Surendra manually removed large amounts of plastic, mud, algae and other waste from the river. He worked without adequate safety equipment and, despite not knowing how to swim, continued returning to the river day after day.
The demanding work also took a toll on his health. Surendra reportedly developed skin infections and itching while cleaning the polluted water. He also encountered snakes several times during his efforts.
His determination drew growing attention online, eventually reaching Boyan Slat. Impressed by Surendra’s commitment to restoring the river, Slat invited the young environmentalist to join The Ocean Cleanup.
Surendra’s initiative has now earned him recognition far beyond his hometown, turning his personal effort to clean a polluted river into an opportunity to contribute to environmental work on an international platform.
Coming from a modest family, Surendra lives with his parents and is currently a second-year undergraduate student.
