Jamshedpur: The bone-rattling ride on a nearly 4km stretch of NH-33 between Dimna roundabout and Pardih will somewhat ease within a week, courtesy patchwork repair.

Following a stern directive from East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Amit Kumar, executive engineer (road construction) Sanjay Singh and his team on Tuesday began plugging potholes on the arterial link passing through the steel city.

"We have been receiving regular complaints from residents of Mango and commuters in general. The potholes are big and risky along the densely populated area. So, the road construction department has been asked to make the stretch at least motorable for now to buffer mishaps in this rainy season," said DC Kumar.

Executive engineer Singh said he got in touch with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for patchwork permission on NH-33.

"Technically, we cannot undertake repairs on a national highway. We conveyed the deputy commissioner's message to NHAI project director Ajay Sinha. He has given the go-ahead. Work has begun from today (Tuesday) and will be completed within a week," he said.

Singh added that stone chips were being used to plug the potholes - and in some places craters. The warts are then being levelled by an earthmover.

The NHAI project director warned that the repair was provisional. "We cannot undertake bituminous work in monsoon. We have asked a private agency, which had plugged the potholes in December 2017, to do it again on priority basis. Potholes between Ghatshila and Chandil will also be filled up," Sinha said.

More than one lakh vehicles, including heavy vehicles and long-distance buses, ply on NH-33 that connects Jamshedpur with capital Ranchi. The senior NHAI official said a Rs 17-crore tender for repair of the entire 138km stretch would be finalised by September 20 and work would commence after monsoon.

Commuters are glad to know that the authorities are at least making some effort.

"Currently, the NH-33 stretch in question is unfit for walking, let alone biking or driving. The patchwork repair will hopefully buffer mishaps that were frequent on the pothole-riddled road," said Vikas Singh, a transporter from Dimna Road.