After Dutch CEO, Kevin Pietersen praises MP's 'Bittu Tabahi' for cleaning polluted river alone: ‘Heroic’

A 21-year-old Madhya Pradesh student who took on the task of cleaning a heavily polluted river on his own has attracted international attention, with former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen praising his efforts and environmental NGO The Ocean Cleanup offering him a job.

Surendra Singh Choudhary, known online as 'Bittu Tabahi', received the offer on Sunday from Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of the Netherlands-based organisation.

The development comes after Pietersen shared Bittu's river-cleaning initiative and described it as "heroic", bringing the young student's work to a wider international audience.

"I received a call from Slat this morning," Bittu told TOI. "He was exceedingly pleased with my work, and he took down my credentials. I'm rather excited about it."

Asked about the position being offered, Bittu said, “That wasn't discussed. I'm told they'll get back to me soon.”

Who is 'Bittu Tabahi' and what did he do?

Bittu began cleaning the Ajnar river in Biaora, Rajgarh district, on January 26.

The river was heavily clogged with plastic waste, algae and other debris. Bittu spent around ₹30,000 of his own money on basic equipment and supplies for the cleanup.

He worked across three major ghats, undertaking the effort without gloves or proper footwear. He also did not know how to swim, according to the report.

Bittu documented the cleanup through before-and-after photographs, which subsequently gained traction on social media.

Kevin Pietersen calls effort 'heroic'

Bittu's initiative soon attracted attention from industrialist Anand Mahindra, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and social media users.

Pietersen later shared Bittu's story on Instagram, praising his determination and calling the effort "heroic".

The former England cricketer highlighted that Bittu had entered the polluted river barefoot and without protective equipment, choosing to take action rather than wait for authorities.

Pietersen's post helped bring international attention to the student's work.

The Ocean Cleanup founder offers him a job

Soon after Pietersen's post, Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, responded to a post about Bittu's work with a brief invitation: "Come work for us."

Slat subsequently contacted Bittu and took down his credentials, according to the student.

The exact role or terms of the job offer have not yet been discussed, Bittu said.

The Ocean Cleanup is a Netherlands-based environmental NGO focused on developing technologies to remove plastic from oceans and rivers.

'My aim was never personal credit'

Despite the attention surrounding his work, Bittu said recognition was not his primary motivation.

"My aim was never personal credit but to inspire others," Bittu said.

His initiative, which began as an individual effort to clean a polluted river in Madhya Pradesh, has now drawn attention from an international environmental organisation as well as prominent public figures.