Krishna Kumar
Maharjan

Krishna Kumar Maharjan comes from Siddhipur, a Newari town in Lalitpur district known for its brick houses, temples and farming traditions. He has woven sukuls, the rice-straw mats of Newari life, since childhood.

In 2062 BS (2005/06) he helped lead the Siddhipur Water and Sanitation User Organization, serving as its president for twelve years. Under his leadership it ensured regular clean drinking water at household taps across Siddhipur. In 2007 he took part in post-construction training with UN-Habitat and ENPHO, and in March 2018 the organization honoured him at its first general assembly. He then served as Patron of its executive committee until 2023.

He also served in local government as chairman of the Siddhipur Village Development Committee (VDC), the town's local governing body until Nepal's restructuring folded it into Mahalaxmi Municipality. His public service therefore ran from community committees to the town's top elected post.

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Maharjan served as president (chairman) of the Siddhipur Water and Sanitation User Organization for twelve years, until 2018. The organisation was founded in 2062 BS (2005/06) and registered under Nepal's Water Resources Act. It ran the town's integrated programme with UN-Habitat and WaterAid supporting it, ENPHO as technical partner and the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works involved. As chairman, he stood at the centre of this partnership, linking the community with the agencies that funded and advised the work.

At a May 2007 event, Siddhipur was declared a clean zone and thirteen consumers' committees were felicitated. Reported at that event as president of the Consumer's Committee, Maharjan said household water supply would begin that June.

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As younger people moved away and farmland shrank, the sukul tradition began to fade. Maharjan, a lifelong weaver, worked to give the craft a place in the local economy.

The Community Learning Centre he leads trains local people to make mats, coasters and backrests. Its products have reached buyers in Nepal and abroad, including Japan and Germany.