Who is Bittu Tabahi? MP youth cleans polluted river alone, wins praise from internet

Choudhary, 20, who describes himself as an environmental activist on Instagram, began the cleanliness drive on his own, using simple tools and spending his own money to remove plastic, algae and other waste from the river.

His efforts have not only earned appreciation from people across India but have also reportedly attracted a job offer from a Netherlands-based organisation.

Choudhary first gained widespread attention on Republic Day this year after sharing before-and-after pictures and videos of the river on social media.

As his efforts gained traction online, the local municipal corporation took notice and stepped in to support his initiative.

Several videos shared by the young activist show him working alone to clear the river of accumulated plastic, algae and other waste.

Despite facing criticism from some social media users, who accused him of carrying out the cleanup merely for views and even claimed that some of his videos were AI-generated, Choudhary continued his efforts and kept documenting his work online.

Speaking to ANI, Choudhary said, “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.”

“I started alone; they (municipal corporation) saw what I was doing and then offered their support,” he said.

Anand Mahindra reacts

Choudhary’s river-cleaning initiative also caught the attention of industrialist Anand Mahindra, who praised the young environmental activist on X.

“This young man from Biaora, M.P., was criticised for claiming to have cleaned parts of a river just in order to gain social media views,” Mahindra wrote.

“Well, we usually complain that social media rewards the trivial rather than the meaningful. So, if a desire for ‘likes’ can become a force for good, that’s fine with me… Bittu Tabahi from Biaora is my #MondayMotivation,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to media reports, Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of Netherlands-based non-profit The Ocean Cleanup, has also offered Choudhary a job in recognition of his environmental efforts.