Till last night workers had received snack items and fruits, like oranges and bananas.
Trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand for 11 days, 41 workers hope for "good news" soon after rescue teams have managed to drill through more than two-thirds of the debris blocking the way. The distance between the evacuation team and the workers is now less than 15 meters - the rescue teams have managed to drill through 45 metres of debris after hitting a snag in the operations four days ago.
Anxious families are hoping to see their loved ones soon as the rescue operation is nearing its end. Officials expect the rescue operation will be over by 11:30 pm.
'Hope'
Devendra Kisku, elder brother of Birendra Kisku from Bihar who has been trapped inside the tunnel, spoke to NDTV outside the rescue site in Uttarkashi. "We have been informed by the rescue officials that the workers have been provided soap, and towels to take a bath and since last night they are getting good food too," Devendra Kisku said.
Devendra Kisku feels things are better now and he is more optimistic about seeing his brother soon after the emergency service officials are inching closer to rescue the workers. "I feel hopeful that we can get good news by next morning."
Workers from different states were engaged in The 4.5 km-long tunnel project, which connects Silkyara to the Gangotri-Yamunotri axis and is a part of the Centre's Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana.
Joydeep from West Bengal has been trapped inside the collapsed structure for 11 days, though the rescue officials are providing adequate oxygen and food for their survival.
Over 1,000 km away, a worried mother is waiting for her son to come back. NDTV spoke to the parents of Joydeep in West Bengal who hope to see their son soon.
"I spoke to my son at 12 in the night. He said he was fine and asked us to look after ourselves and not to worry. But we are parents. How can we be fine when our son is trapped?" his father said.
"We want to know how soon they'll be brought out from the tunnel. It can take time and we understand that but we want our son to come back and as parents we are worried. We appreciate the effort that is being taken and we hope to speak to our son soon," he added.
Souvik Pakhira is trapped in the tunnel and his family echoed similar sentiments. "We spoke yesterday. He said he is doing well and asked us not to worry," his father said.
Sanjay Basumatary and Ramprasad Narzary's families in Assam made desperate calls to know the whereabouts of their sons who have been trapped for 11 days. As the clock ticked, the desperation of the families started mounting.
Rescue Efforts Till Now
That rescue operations were earlier suspended for three days when a US-made auger machine deployed to drill and push in pipes through the rubble to prepare an escape passage for the workers developed a snag that exacerbated the anxiety.
Rescue efforts have been slow, complicated by falling debris as well as repeated breakdowns of heavy-drilling machines. One machine last week ran into boulders, causing drilling to be suspended for over three days after the tunnel's roof seemed to crack.
Till last night workers had received snack items and fruits, like oranges and bananas. Abhishek Ramola, the owner of the hotel that cooked and packed the food, told news agency ANI that around 150 packets had been prepared for dinner on Tuesday.
Both the state and the central governments have promised to do all they can to bring the 41 workers back up safely, but they have refused to give a definitive timeline for their rescue, noting these are "subject to change due to technical glitches, challenging terrain, and unforeseen emergencies".