Preamble
Disaster is an event, natural or man-made, sudden or progressive, which impacts with such severity that the affected community has to respond by taking exceptional measures.
Disaster Management is an applied science, which seeks, by systematic observation and analysis of disasters, to improve measures relating to prevention, mitigation and recovery in relation to disasters.
India is a land of religious festivals. These religious events and festivities are held frequently throughout the year. In a state like Maharashtra for eg. various festive events like Ganesh festival, Navaratri, Kumbha mela, annual fairs of Mount Mary, fairs at Jyotiba temple or Mandhara Devi temple to name a few, are conducted with tremendous zeal every year. Throngs of people gather at these festivities. This demands better control and organization to prevent any possibility of disaster like a stampede or a fire which had happened at Mandhara Devi temple in Wai in the year 2005, leaving 250 innocent people dead.
An emergency, be it natural or man-made, brings a crisis situation creating panic, fear and terror in the minds and hearts of peoples.
The situation demands not only an efficient management and control from the core emergency agencies such as fire fighters, police, hospitals etc. but also from voluntary and support groups of the locality.
The foundation and the concept of the Aniruddha’s Academy of Disaster Management is based on the vision and foresight of Dr. Aniruddha Dhairyadhar Joshi known to his devotees as Sadguru Bapu.
Even before the worst man-made disaster – the inhuman terrorist attack of 9/11 (11th September 2001) on the World Trade Centre in New York had taken place, Sadguru Bapu had indicated the tough and the difficult times mankind would face in the coming years.
“Over the next twenty to twenty five years, conflict will become an aspect of everyday events. Values based on theory of principles will have no place whatsoever in this conflict and survival of the fittest will be the only commandment. We are talking about an inevitable Third World War, the gigantic man-made disaster which seems to be knocking on our doors” – Sadguru Bapu.
The horrific episode of 26/11/2008 in Mumbai and the present scenario around the world of ruthless destruction are proof enough.
