Bengaluru: Bittu Tabahi, who recently went viral for cleaning the heavily polluted Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh, has now brought his cleanliness campaign to Bengaluru, where he led a team of around 100 people in clearing garbage from Turahalli Forest.
Located around 20 km from Bengaluru along Kanakapura Road, Turahalli Forest became the latest stop in Bittu’s campaign to spread awareness about keeping public spaces clean and free of waste.
Bittu Tabahi takes cleanliness drive to Bengaluru
Bittu, whose real name is Surendra Singh Choudhry, said he has been travelling to different states to raise awareness about his cleanliness campaign.
“I have been travelling to different states to spread awareness about my cleanliness drive,” he said in an Instagram video documenting the Turahalli Forest clean-up.
During the drive, Bittu and members of his team wore gloves and masks while collecting garbage from the forest. The volunteers also used spades to remove waste that had accumulated beneath the surface.
The garbage was collected in sacks before being taken away for disposal and recycling.
JCB used to remove buried waste
The clean-up involved more than simply collecting visible plastic and discarded material from the forest floor.
A JCB was brought in to clear sections where garbage had penetrated deeper into the soil. Once the waste was removed, members of the team helped load it onto a recycling truck for transportation.
The large team also worked across different parts of the forest to clear accumulated rubbish and make the area cleaner.
Bittu said people in Bengaluru extended their support during the campaign and joined him in his efforts to clean Turahalli Forest.
From Ajnar River to Turahalli Forest
Bittu shot to social media fame earlier this month after videos and before-and-after photographs showed his efforts to clean the heavily polluted Ajnar River in Madhya Pradesh.
The 20-year-old spent months removing plastic, discarded waste and other rubbish from the river. Unlike a large-scale government campaign, his clean-up efforts were largely carried out independently, with Bittu funding basic supplies and repeatedly returning to the river to remove accumulated waste.
His work attracted widespread attention on social media and turned his personal initiative into a broader cleanliness campaign.
Following the attention his river-cleaning efforts received, Bittu began travelling to other states to continue his mission.
The Ocean Cleanup offers Bittu a job
Bittu’s work also attracted international attention. The Ocean Cleanup, an organisation founded by Dutch environmentalist Boyan Slat, offered him a job following his efforts to clean the Ajnar River.
After receiving the offer, Bittu shared a video thanking people for supporting his journey. He also asked his followers to suggest which state he should visit next as he continued his clean-up mission.
His visit to Bengaluru and the Turahalli Forest clean-up are part of that effort to encourage people to take greater responsibility for public spaces.
The Bengaluru drive, involving around 100 people, also highlighted how community participation can complement individual efforts to tackle waste in natural areas.
Bittu’s growing campaign has now moved beyond the Ajnar River, with his latest initiative in Turahalli Forest bringing his message of cleanliness to Bengaluru.