According to the National Water Supply and Sanitation Programme, a problem village is one where:

The definition of 'Problem Village' as per the National Water Supply and Sanitation Programme is: Where no source of safe water is available within a distance of 1.6 km or Where water is available at a depth of more than 15 meters or Where water source has excess salinity, iron, flourides and other toxic elements or Where water is exposed to the risk of cholera Ref: Health programmes in India Park's textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 21st edition, page-418.