Bittu Tabahi Returns to Clean Ajnar River After Waste Returns

On Tuesday, October 13, environmental activist Surendra Singh Choudhary—known online as “Bittu Tabahi”—posted an Instagram video showing the Ajnar River in Rajgarh district, Madhya Pradesh, again littered with plastic bags and assorted rubbish. The footage, which quickly went viral, captured the riverbanks and water surface choked with debris only weeks after Choudhary had cleared the same stretch. In the video caption, he expressed disappointment, writing that eight months of effort appeared to have been undone.

Hindustan TimesCNN-News18The Indian ExpressBittu Tabahi shares ‘heartbreaking’ update as Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh turns polluted again despite 8 months of cleanup; "Eight months of hard work wasted" ThePrint'8 months of hard work went to waste': Bittu Tabahi finds Madhya Pradesh river choked with garbage again 'My 8 Months Of Hard Work Wasted': Bittu Tabahi Shares 'Heartbreaking' Update Of Ajnar River

Choudhary spent eight months manually removing tonnes of garbage from the Ajnar River, working alone and without specialised equipment. His grassroots effort earned global attention and a viral following, prompting him to expand his clean-up mission to other locations. In September 20, he led a three-day campaign in Delhi that collected roughly 585 kg of waste with a team. The following day, a drive in Gurugram’s Kherki Daula area removed 2,435 kg, and a subsequent effort on Mumbai’s beaches cleared 256 kg of litter. Throughout these campaigns, Choudhary has documented progress on social media, highlighting both the scale of plastic pollution and the challenges of sustaining clean waterways when new waste continues to be dumped.

ThePrint

• Tonnes of waste removed from the Ajnar River over eight months (claimed by Choudhary).

Hindustan Times

• 585 kg collected in Delhi (September 20).

ThePrint

• 2,435 kg removed in Gurugram (subsequent day).

ThePrint

• 256 kg cleared on Mumbai beaches after Ganesh Chaturthi idol immersions.

ThePrint

• Approximate personal expense of INR30,000 reported for the Ajnar River effort.

Eight months of work down the drain: Bittu Tabahi finds Ajnar River choked with garbage again

These figures illustrate the substantial material removed by a single activist and his volunteers, yet they also underscore the rapid re-accumulation of litter.

'8 Mahine Ke Mehnat Barbaad': Bittu Tabahi Finds Madhya Pradesh's Ajnar River Littered Again After Eight Months Of Cleaning - VIDEO

• Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, publicly felicitated Choudhary, praising his determination and the impact of his river-cleaning work.

ThePrint

• Anand Mahindra, industrialist, offered a public commendation, noting that Choudhary’s initiative brought national attention to river-pollution challenges.

ThePrint

Both statements highlight governmental and private-sector recognition of the activist’s efforts, while no formal municipal response to the renewed dumping has been documented.

'8 months of hard work went to waste': Bittu Tabahi finds Madhya Pradesh river choked with garbage again

The recurrence of waste on the Ajnar River after an extensive clean-up spotlights systemic issues of civic responsibility and waste-management enforcement in India. Choudhary’s repeated appeals for public suggestions and calls for municipal action reflect a broader demand for sustainable, community-wide solutions rather than reliance on isolated individual campaigns. The episode also raises questions about the effectiveness of current litter-prevention policies and the need for stricter penalties to deter illegal dumping.

'8 Mahine Ke Mehnat Barbaad': Bittu Tabahi Finds Madhya Pradesh's Ajnar River Littered Again After Eight Months Of Cleaning - VIDEO

• “I never imagined that eight months of my hard work would go to waste like this,” — Instagram. Bittu

'My 8 Months Of Hard Work Wasted': Bittu Tabahi Shares 'Heartbreaking' Update Of Ajnar River

These remarks encapsulate the activist’s frustration and the emotional weight of seeing long-term effort undone.

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