20-Year-Old Cleans Polluted River Using Only His Bare Hands
A 20-year-old from Madhya Pradesh has become an online sensation for taking on a task most people assume falls to civic authorities: clearing a heavily polluted river by hand. Surendra Singh Choudhry, better known online as Bittu Tabahi, has spent months pulling plastic, waste and debris out of the Ajnar River and surrounding public areas, covering all the costs himself.
Each Ghat Takes Three Months - And He's Footing The Bill
Rather than wait for an official clean-up initiative, Bittu has taken on the work solo, tackling the river one ghat at a time, with each section taking upward of three months to clear. He explained that he originally hoped to buy a machine to make the process faster, but couldn't afford one – so he chose to get the job done with his hands instead. That choice hasn't come cheap in terms of his health. In an earlier interview, Bittu said extended exposure to the contaminated water led to infections, with skin peeling off his hands and feet.
Even with the health toll and mockery from critics who've labelled him "naala saaf karne wala" (the drain cleaner), Bittu has kept going back to the river.
Online Attention Shifts Toward Questions Of Accountability
His videos, earlier amplified by industrialist Anand Mahindra, have drawn significant attention, but supporters argue that visibility alone hasn't led to real institutional backing. As the story has spread, online commentary has moved from admiration toward sharper criticism of civic negligence.
Some commenters have called the situation "a matter of shame" for local authorities, with one suggesting officials "should be named, fined, and fired" over the state of the city's rivers, roads and drains. Others have floated more practical solutions, including one idea that the municipality formally hire Bittu to continue the work. A number of users have also asked the Prime Minister's Office to officially acknowledge his efforts and apply his approach to cleaning up other polluted rivers and ponds nationwide.
A Wider Debate Over Civic Responsibility
Bittu's story has sparked a broader conversation: while individuals share some blame for polluting water bodies in the first place, municipal bodies are widely seen as failing on enforcement and maintenance. Ideas being floated online include local governments partnering with grassroots clean-up efforts once they pick up momentum, along with tighter waste segregation policies and fines for littering.
For now, Bittu keeps at his one-man mission, ghat by ghat, hoping the attention eventually turns into meaningful support.