This UP teen stepped into a filthy river and removed 1,000 kg waste in 22 days

When a river that once supported his family’s farmland began filling up with waste, 19-year-old Kartik Sahani decided he could not simply watch it deteriorate. Instead, he stepped into the Tamsa River in Uttar Pradesh’s Mau and began cleaning it himself.

Kartik, who has more than 36,000 followers on Instagram, spent three to four hours in the river every day, removing the waste that had accumulated in it. Over 22 days, his efforts resulted in more than 1,000 kg of waste being cleared from the river.

The Tamsa is particularly important to Kartik’s family as their farmland depends on the river for irrigation. Seeing the condition of a water body that directly supported their livelihood prompted him to take matters into his own hands.

Rather than waiting for a larger clean-up effort, Kartik began the work himself. Day after day, he entered the polluted river and manually cleared the waste. His effort gradually transformed into a sustained clean-up drive, with the scale of the waste he removed reflecting the extent of the problem.

His initiative has now moved beyond the river. After spending weeks cleaning the Tamsa, Kartik has set his sights on a pond in his neighbourhood, making it his next target for a clean-up.

For Kartik, the effort appears to be driven by more than just cleaning up his surroundings. The river is closely connected to his family’s farmland and livelihood, giving the initiative a personal significance.

What began with one teenager stepping into a polluted river has now turned into an ongoing effort to reclaim the water bodies around him. His decision to spend hours cleaning the Tamsa instead of waiting for someone else to act has earned him appreciation from people who came across his initiative online.

Many praised Kartik for taking responsibility for a problem in his own community, with his clean-up efforts receiving widespread love and support. Now, with a pond next on his list, the 19-year-old appears ready to keep going.

Looks like Bittu Tabahi has started a revolution!- Ends