Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has called for international recognition for a 20-year-old B.Sc. student from Madhya Pradesh who has been cleaning the polluted Ajner River near a temple in Piyaro, Rajgarh district, on his own.
The student, Bittu Singh, has drawn widespread appreciation on social media for taking up the task of cleaning the river single-handedly. Pietersen also praised his efforts in a post on Instagram.
According to Pietersen’s post, the student, also known as Bittu Dabahi, began cleaning the river on January 26, 2026. The river had reportedly turned into a dumping ground due to plastic waste and other garbage.
Bittu, along with his friends, collected money and spent around Rs.30,000 to purchase garbage bins for disposing of waste generated during religious rituals and other garbage.
Pietersen said the student continued his efforts despite suffering an infection in his hands while cleaning the river. He also noted that some people had criticised the student, alleging that his efforts were aimed at gaining social media likes.
Praising Bittu’s dedication, Pietersen said his nickname, Dabahi, means destruction, and observed that the student was now “destroying” water pollution through his efforts.
Pietersen said real change sometimes begins when individuals take responsibility instead of waiting for others to act. He described Bittu’s initiative as heroic and called for international recognition for his efforts.
