From cleaning Indian river to global spotlight: ‘Bittu Tabahi’ gets job offer from The Ocean Cleanup

At 21, when most people his age are hanging out with friends, Surendra Singh Choudhary is busy cleaning up water bodies. From  plastic waste that threatens marine life to algae that may damage the ecosystem of a place, he’s picked it all – and shared his work on social media.

When his video of clearing up Ajnar River went viral, Bittu Tabahi as he is fondly known, received a job offer that also went viral. It came from Boyan Slat, the founder and CEO of Netherlands-based NGO The Ocean Cleanup.

An X user had dropped a composite before and after photo of Choudhary with the river in the backdrop. The user wrote:  “A 21-year-old Indian man, Surendra Singh Choudhry, known as ‘Bittu Tabahi,’ has been cleaning the heavily polluted Ajnar River himself for months.”  

Slat engaged with the post, commenting: “Come work for us.”

Netizens responded positively to the episode, with one X user commenting: “Wow, this is huge for the boy. Hope you’re serious about this! Go get him.” And another said: “Holy opportunity of a lifetime, extremely lucky, and I’m so jealous.”

Choudhary is from Biaora in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district. On his Insta page, he is often seen removing plastic waste, algae and debris from the river.