The family members of three workers from Bengal, who are among the 41 people trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel that collapsed on November 12, continue to spend their days in despair as there is no clarity on when the rescue operation will be over and they all will come out.

“We have been waiting for 15 days with the hope that my son will come out of the tunnel any day now. I could talk to my son over the phone on Friday and he could not tell me about the time when they would be finally rescued. Now we came to know that it could take a month more. Now, I am only praying before the gods for his safe return,” said Lakhmi Pakhira, the mother of one of the three workers from Bengal, Soubhik Pakhira.

Soubhik, 24, and Joydeb Pramanik, 18, from two adjacent villages in Hooghly’s Pursurah, joined a private company last year and were posted at the Silkyara tunnel construction site in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi.

The third trapped worker from Bengal is 50-year-old Manik Talukdar of Cooch Behar.

Pakhira, a diploma-holder in engineering, was at home for Durga Puja and returned to his workplace earlier this month.

Pramanik, who is a member of the survey team, has been at the project site for the past few months and was scheduled to visit his Hooghly home later this month.

Talukdar of Cooch Behar’s Balarampur I was working in the tunnel.

“I want the safe and unharmed return of my son and all those who are trapped inside the tunnel. I am unaware of the day when they will come out. I will request my son not to go for such risky work in the future,” said Lakhmi.

At least six expert teams, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (SDRF), have been jointly conducting a rescue operation since the collapse of a portion of the under-construction tunnel. Most of the workers trapped inside the collapsed tunnel are from Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

A Bengal government official, who has been keeping in touch with the Uttarakhand administration to know about the progress of the rescue operation, said much more time was needed to complete the mission.

“Now, the rescue operation is being carried out manually, which will take a lot of time. The rescuers are also planning for vertical drilling to reach the trapped workers. The officials in Uttarakhand can’t confirm the probable date. But they are safe inside, so far,” said the official in Calcutta.

“It’s hope and despair every day, for us. We had hoped my husband and others would be rescued very soon. I am not sure that will happen before a month,” said Soma Talukdar from Cooch Behar.

Tapati Pramanik, mother of Joydeb said, she was bedridden for the past few days, worried over the fate of her son.

"I don't know when the good news will come. I am even not in a health condition to speak properly. I request the government to rescue my son as soon as possible. I am not in a hurry but I want to see my son unharmed," Tapati said.

Trinamul Congress's Arambagh MP Aparupa Poddar visited the homes of both the trapped workers from Pursurah on Saturday.

The BJP MLA of Pursurah and the party’s Arambagh unit chief Biman Ghosh called on the family members of the two families three days ago and wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday with an appeal to ensure the rescue of the trio from Bengal.

“The family members of the three were dejected. We have told them that our government at the Centre has been trying its best to rescue them. I also wrote a letter to our Prime minister in this connection. I have organised a yajna at a local temple to pray for the unharmed return of all those who are trapped in Uttarkashi,” said Ghosh.