"We Need Someone Like You": What Happened to the Indian Student Who Cleaned a Trash-Filled River with His Bare Hands

Cleaning a River Covered in Trash by Himself
Continuing the Work Despite Infection Risks and Snake Encounters
‘Before and After’ Photos Shared on Social Media Gain Attention
Global Environmental Organization Takes Notice

An Indian university student has drawn global attention after receiving a job offer from a prominent international environmental organization for personally cleaning up a river covered in trash and filth over several months. Initially, his actions went entirely unnoticed, but after spreading through social media, his campaign mobilized not only his local community but also audiences overseas.

On September 8, Yonhap News TV, citing local outlets such as The Times of India, reported the story of a young person who managed to clean and revive a region's river that had become filled with foul-smelling waste, thanks to his dedicated efforts.

Before and after images of the Aznar River cleanup posted by Choduri. Instagram 'Bittu Tabahi'

The person at the center of this story is Surendra Singh Choduri, a 21-year-old resident of Biora in Rajgarh district, Madhya Pradesh, India. Choduri, a university student known on social media as 'Bittu Tabahi', recently gained attention for personally cleaning the Aznar River in his hometown and sharing the process on his accounts.

Once closely tied to the daily lives of local residents, the river slowly filled up with plastic bags, various plastic waste, algae, and all sorts of household garbage. In particular, areas near a temple suffered from such severe pollution that the stench became overwhelming. Unable to witness the situation any longer, Choduri began cleaning the river himself at the end of January. While some friends occasionally helped at first, it is known that as time went on Choduri carried out most of the work on his own.

He spent about 30,000 rupees (approximately 400,000 won) of his own money to purchase basic cleaning equipment. The working environment was extremely challenging — Choduri entered the water without proper gloves or protective footwear, manually pulling out plastic, algae, and other waste, and even encountered snakes in the river. Prolonged exposure to contaminated water led to infection symptoms and skin irritation on his arms and legs. It was also reported that he could not even swim.

Despite this, Choduri refused to stop his efforts. After he shared 'before and after cleaning' photos and videos of the Aznar River on social media, the situation changed dramatically. The river, which had been so full of garbage that its surface was invisible, became visibly cleaner, sparking considerable interest among Indian netizens. As Choduri's story spread, local authorities also took notice. The municipal government of Biora subsequently provided support by deploying heavy machinery such as excavators to help remove the waste gathered by Choduri. Municipal officials stated that Choduri continues to clean the Aznar River regularly, and that the authorities are providing equipment and other support.

As he shared photos and videos of the Aznar River "before and after cleaning" on social media, the situation changed. The river, which was so littered that the water surface was not visible, drew considerable attention from Indian netizens due to its noticeably cleaned appearance. Instagram user 'Bittu Tabahi'

Choduri’s actions quickly spread beyond India as well. Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of the globally renowned ocean conservation group The Ocean Cleanup, left a brief comment — “Come work for us” — on an X (formerly Twitter) post introducing Choduri’s before-and-after photos on September 4. The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit environmental organization headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Established in 2013 by Slat when he was 18, the group focuses both on removing plastics already floating in the oceans and developing technologies that prevent plastics from flowing from rivers into the sea. The organization has set a goal to reduce the volume of plastic floating in the world's oceans by 90% by 2040.

This did not end as a simple social media compliment. Choduri told local media that he later received a phone call directly from Slat and provided information about his background and experience. However, the specific position and work location have not yet been determined. Choduri explained, “We have not discussed specific duties,” and added that he expects to receive further contact from The Ocean Cleanup.

Prominent figures have also voiced their support for Choduri. Anand Mahindra, chairman of India's Mahindra Group, highlighted his campaign, while former England national cricket player Kevin Pietersen called Choduri’s actions “heroic” and worthy of international recognition. The Madhya Pradesh government has also formally commended his activities.

Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, recently invited Choduri to his residence in Bhopal. Yadav assessed that Choduri's cleanup campaign demonstrates that it does not take many people to create meaningful social change, and pledged support for Choduri’s environmental efforts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.