BHOPAL: In a striking turn of events, Surendra Singh Choudhary, the 21-year-old Madhya Pradesh student known online as ‘Bittu Tabahi’, on Sunday received a job offer from The Ocean Cleanup, a Netherlands-based environmental NGO, after former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen hailed his solo river-cleaning drive as “heroic”.The offer, extended by Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of the organisation, marks a rapid escalation from local initiative to global recognition for the Biaora youth.“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.” When asked which job had been offered, he said, “That wasn’t discussed. I’m told they’ll get back to me soon.”Bittu began his cleanup of the plastic-choked Ajnar river in Biaora, Rajgarh district, on Jan 26, spending his own money- around Rs 30,000-to buy basic tools and supplies. He cleaned up three major ghats.Without gloves, proper footwear, or even the ability to swim, he waded into the polluted waters to remove trash, algae and debris, documenting the transformation in before-and-after images that later went viral.Kevin Pietersen praised Bittu’s effort as ‘heroic’ His persistence drew attention from industrialist Anand Mahindra, MP CM Mohan Yadav and thousands of social media users. The momentum grew when cricket legend Kevin Pietersen shared Bittu’s story on Instagram, calling his effort “heroic” and saying it deserved international recognition.Pietersen highlighted how the young man entered the river barefoot and without protective gear, taking action instead of waiting for authorities. Soon after, Boyan Slat, founder of The Ocean Cleanup, responded to a post about Bittu’s work with a simple invitation: “Come work for us.”“My aim was never personal credit but to inspire others,” Bittu said.
