A 21-year-old student from Madhya Pradesh has earned international attention after taking on a problem that had been ignored for years. Bittu Tabahi, whose real name is Surendra Singh Choudhary, began cleaning the polluted Ajnar River himself, an effort that eventually caught the attention of former England captain Kevin Pietersen. Pietersen shared Bittu’s story on social media, praising the student for taking action instead of waiting for someone else to solve the problem. His post highlighted the striking meaning of Bittu’s surname and the irony behind his mission.

Kevin Pietersen Spots Bittu’s Unusual Story

Pietersen said he came across Bittu’s story and felt compelled to share it with his followers.

“At 21, Bittu Tabahi stepped into a polluted river, without gloves, boots or even knowing how to swim, and started cleaning it himself,” Pietersen wrote.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Kevin Pietersen MBE (@kevinpietersen)

According to Pietersen’s post, Bittu began the clean-up on January 26, 2026, near a temple in Biaora, Madhya Pradesh. He removed plastic and other waste that had accumulated in the river and also began converting religious waste into compost.

The student reportedly spent around ₹30,000 on the effort and pooled money with friends to purchase equipment and dustbins. He also suffered infections on his hands during the process.

Pietersen's post ended with a striking observation about Bittu's surname.

“Bittu's surname means ‘destruction’. Today, he is trying to destroy something else: water pollution,” the former England captain wrote, calling the effort “heroic” and saying it deserved international recognition.

Who Is Bittu Tabahi?

Bittu Tabahi is the name used by Surendra Singh Choudhary, a BSc student and environmental volunteer from Biaora in Rajgarh district.

He reportedly began the clean-up after seeing large amounts of plastic, algae, sludge and other waste around the Ajnar River near a local temple.

What began with help from a few friends gradually became largely a solo effort. Bittu continued removing waste manually despite having limited equipment and, according to Pietersen’s account, not knowing how to swim.

His work eventually travelled far beyond Madhya Pradesh after images and posts about the clean-up gained traction online.

The story also caught the attention of Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup. After seeing a post showcasing Bittu’s work on X, Slat offered him an opportunity to work with the organisation.

From a local river clean-up in Madhya Pradesh to recognition from two internationally known figures, Bittu’s unusual journey has now reached a global audience.