A 20-year-old BSc student from Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district has drawn renewed attention to river conservation after his months-long effort to clean the polluted Ajnar River earned recognition from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

Known as Bittu Tabahi, the young resident of Biaora began cleaning stretches of the river on his own after seeing plastic waste, discarded religious offerings, algae and other garbage accumulating in the water. His efforts, documented through videos and before-and-after visuals on social media, have since attracted widespread attention. 

CM Mohan Yadav Meets Bittu

Yadav invited Bittu to Bhopal and met him at the Chief Minister’s residence. During the interaction, the CM praised the student's initiative and referred to him affectionately as “our little Bittu” while appreciating his work to keep the river clean.

The chief minister also honoured him with a ‘Jai Shri Mahakal’ stole and a certificate of appreciation, according to the account of the meeting.

The recognition came as Bittu's river-cleaning campaign moved from a local effort to a story receiving attention well beyond Rajgarh.

Started River Cleanup on Republic Day

Bittu's campaign began on January 26, 2026, according to multiple reports. He initially worked with friends, but continued the effort largely on his own after others stopped participating. 

He used basic equipment to remove waste from polluted stretches of the Ajnar River. Reports say he spent around ₹30,000 from his own money on tools and dustbins for the campaign. 

The initiative eventually expanded beyond simply removing rubbish. Bittu also began separating discarded religious offerings and using some of the material for composting.

He Says He Could Not Swim

One of the striking aspects of Bittu's story is that he reportedly began entering the polluted water despite not knowing how to swim.

Working without adequate protective equipment also exposed him to health risks. Reports have said that he developed skin problems and infections during the cleanup. Despite these difficulties, he continued returning to the river and removing waste. 

His approach has also attracted criticism, with some people questioning whether the campaign was partly intended for social-media publicity. Bittu has continued documenting the work and defending the effort through his videos.

Bittu: Government and Public Both Have a Role

During his meeting with the chief minister, Bittu reportedly stressed that river conservation cannot depend entirely on government agencies.

He said the government was already working on water-related issues but argued that ordinary citizens also needed to change the habit of dumping waste into rivers.

His message is straightforward: cleaning a river once will not solve the problem if people continue treating the water body as a dumping ground.

That point has become an important part of the wider discussion around his campaign, particularly because the Ajnar's condition reflects a broader challenge faced by smaller rivers and urban water bodies.

Ajnar River Campaign Goes Viral

Bittu's before-and-after videos have helped bring his work to a much larger audience. Several news reports have highlighted the visible change in stretches of the Ajnar River, while industrialist Anand Mahindra has also praised the young student's determination. 

The attention has turned Bittu into a social-media figure, but the central issue behind the viral story remains the condition of the river itself.

Reports on the Ajnar describe stretches affected by accumulated plastic, garbage, algae and religious waste, with the pollution affecting the appearance and ecological condition of the water body. (NDTV India)

A Personal Campaign With a Wider Message

Bittu's effort has highlighted how individual action can draw attention to environmental problems that often receive limited public visibility.

At the same time, his story also raises a larger question: how can rivers remain clean after a cleanup campaign ends?

Bittu himself has argued that the responsibility ultimately has to be shared. Residents need to stop dumping waste, while local authorities and civic bodies must ensure regular waste management and protection of water bodies.

For now, the Rajgarh student's journey from cleaning a polluted river to receiving recognition from the Madhya Pradesh chief minister has given the Ajnar River a new level of public attention.

His campaign may have started with one person stepping into dirty water, but its larger message is that river conservation cannot be sustained without changes in everyday public behaviour.

In the 135th episode of Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the women of Biaora in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district for turning plastic waste into a tool for beautifying the town.

The Prime Minister said most people want their surroundings to be clean and attractive, but many assume that cleaning is someone else’s responsibility. He highlighted how these women took ownership of the problem instead of waiting for others to act.

According to the Prime Minister, the women began collecting plastic waste and empty bottles from across the town on their own initiative. Over time, they started converting the waste into eco-bricks, which are now being used to improve public spaces and add beauty to the town.

Modi said that in the past few months, hundreds of kilograms of plastic have been recycled in Rajgarh and put to productive use. He noted that what once caused pollution is now helping enhance the visual appeal of the city.

He congratulated the women of Biaora and everyone associated with the campaign, calling it an inspiring example of community-driven environmental action.