(Yicai) Aug. 9 -- As much as CNY10.15 billion (USD1.41 billion) of funding for reconstruction efforts in China’s Henan province following disastrous flooding in 2021 were used unreasonably, according to a media report.

For the past two years, the Henan Provincial Audit Department has looked into the province’s post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, focusing on 44 severely affected counties, the report by Cnr.cn, a news outlet of China Media Group, said yesterday.

The non-compliant use and retention of funds totaled CNY440 million (USD61.1 million), involving 11 counties, and 199 projects in 32 cities and counties were involved in the slow progress and false reporting of projects involved, with funds of CNY4.83 billion (USD670 million).

Project deliveries without acceptance and engineering quality problems involved CNY3.9 billion of funds and 282 projects in 82 counties. In addition, three non-disaster projects in three counties illegally secured CNY375 million in reconstruction monies.

The provincial audit department said it will publish a comprehensive rectification report by the end of November.

From July 17 to 23, 2021, Henan was hit by heavy rains that affected 14.8 million people in 150 counties and districts, including the provincial capital of Zhengzhou. Some 398 people died, and direct economic losses from the disaster reached CNY120.06 billion (USD16.7 billion).

Editor: Peter Thomas