How Google's plus codes can play a crucial role in rescue and relief operations

Most disasters arise with little or no warning and leave behind a trail of destruction. In the event of an emergency, it is critical to be able to convey the required information to emergency service providers accurately. Accurate information can help direct first responders to your location and save lives in the process.

However, trouble arises when one's location does not have a street address or one is less familiar with the area.
In such a scenario, Google can come to your rescue. Its plus codes feature allows users to share their location on Google Maps, even when they don’t have the address. Plus codes "can be used to uniquely identify any location, from a rural home out on a prairie to a small shop stall on a nameless street," as per Google blog. And the best part about it is that you don’t need a network connection to share your address; plus codes work whether you are online or offline.

With half of the world’s urban people living on unnamed streets (according to the World Bank), plus codes give every place an address and thus, help in disaster relief. This can help rescue teams locate any citizen trapped or stranted in inundated areas, storm-ravaged places, or areas without mobile network.

Also read: Union Minister Jitendra Singh launches COVID BEEP app, says 'effective antidote' to pandemic

What are plus codes?

A plus code is 'like a street address for people or places that don't have one'. It gives an address to every place on the earth, allowing people to stay connected and thereby, improve their lives. Plus codes are digital addresses (alphanumeric codes) derived from latitude and longitude coordinates. 

A plus code is 10 characters long, with a plus sign before the last two. It consists of two parts — area code and local code.

According to the plus codes website, "The first four characters are the area code, describing a region of roughly 100 x 100 kilometers. The last six characters are the local code, describing the neighborhood and the building, an area of roughly 14 x 14 meters — about the size of one half of a basketball court. Each code uses these two parts to locate a larger region and then find the precise location within that region."

Also read: Food delivery via drones could soon be a reality in India; DGCA gives nod for trials

Why are plus codes unique?

1. The technology is open-sourced. Thus, the plus codes are free.
2. Plus codes work without a network connection.
3. Plus codes work in places that are yet to be mapped. Since they don't use country codes, they work in disputed territories as well.

Also read: Blocked in China, why are Internet & social media giants protecting the protectionist?

What's your plus code?

Open Google Maps and tap on a place to drop a pin. At the bottom, you’ll see an address. Tap this section to find the plus code and all details of the area. You can share the code with anybody. One can Google Search the code or search it on Google Maps to get the exact location.

Can help rescue women in distress

Arya Ghosh, an amateur radio hobbyist, had sent a proposal to PM Modi, DG, and NDRF, asking them to adopt the plus code technology (for all residential and business addresses ), which he says "would be of immense help in the long run in locating the affected households and saving the irreplaceable lives".

"Such GPS PLUS CODE MAPPING would not only help in rescuing the disaster victims but also prove to be of immense help in rescuing the lives of our women citizenry in distress like Nirbhaya or the families under attack from robbers , other miscreants including thesenior citizens that are common targets of the miscreants pan India. For that , the Police , NDMA , NDRF and all other nodal agencies of the Government must educate and encourage citizens adequately in using GPS technology," he wrote in the proposal.

(Picture credit: Unsplash)

Also read: Is Zoom Chinese? CEO Eric Yuan calls Zoom American amid allegations of having Chinese link