A young man named 'Bittu Tabahi', who gained fame through his campaign to clean the Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh, has attracted the attention of the international media. His story was covered by publications such as 'The Independent' and 'Gulf News' from the UK, as well as the French media company 'Brut'.
The French media company 'Brut' published reports and videos about his activities back in April. His initiative, which initially started with a local river, is now being discussed abroad.
'The Independent' featured an article titled: '21-year-old youth who cleans a trash-filled river alone in India'. The report stated that this young man's real name is Surendra Singh Chaudhary. He is a student from Biwara, Madhya Pradesh, and has been cleaning the Ajnar River since January.
According to the report, Bittu used both his hands and common tools to remove plastic, bottles, water hyacinth, and other debris from the river. Although some friends initially helped him with this work, Bittu eventually took on most of the cleaning responsibilities himself.
'The Independent' also highlighted the difficulties Bittu faced. The report mentioned that he descended into the river for cleaning for months, and initially, he did not even have the necessary protective gear. It was particularly noted that despite not knowing how to swim, he continued to work in the water.
'Gulf News' presented Bittu's campaign in the context of his personal struggles. According to their report, he even spent his savings on cleaning the river. During the process, he faced issues such as infections from contaminated water, and there was also the danger of snake attacks.
Although he was accompanied by friends at first, as the campaign progressed, Bittu performed most of the work independently. Before-and-after photos of the river cleaning, which he posted on social media, went viral and helped his initiative gain widespread recognition.
'Brut' described him as a 20-year-old student from Madhya Pradesh who decided to personally enter the river to clean it. The 'Brut' report also mentioned the interesting meaning of his nickname 'Tabahi'. According to the source, this word means destruction, but his mission is aimed at the opposite—eliminating pollution and restoring the river's purity.
After photos and videos of Bittu's efforts became available on social media, his story reached the environmental organization 'The Ocean Cleanup', based in the Netherlands. Boyan Slaat, founder and CEO of this organization, reacted to Bittu's work on social media, writing: 'Come work with us'.