SILKYARA - Adverse weather conditions loom over Monday's rescue efforts for 41 construction workers entombed in an Indian Himalayan tunnel for over two weeks. Despite the approaching wet weather, rescue leaders express readiness to confront the challenges. Mahmood Ahmad, NHIDCL's managing director, asserts confidence in the rescue teams' training to handle diverse situations.

Trapped since the tunnel collapse on Nov. 12, the workers, hailing from impoverished Indian states, receive sustenance through a narrow pipe.

However, attempts to dig a rescue tunnel encounter setbacks, compelling manual drilling after machinery damage. A new approach involves drilling a vertical shaft from the mountain's top.

Jasvant Kapoor from SJVNL drilling company, overseeing the new shaft, acknowledges difficulties but emphasizes preparedness. Weather concerns include thunderstorms, hail, and dropping temperatures to 9 degrees Celsius on Monday. The 4.5 km tunnel is integral to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Char Dham highway project.

While the cause of the initial collapse remains undisclosed, the region's susceptibility to landslides, earthquakes, and floods adds complexity to the rescue mission.