An Idea Floats

No supermarket ever moved around your neighbourhood. But a recently launched floating mall on the Vembanad Lake is doing just that—doing brisk business on the Kuttanad backwaters in south Kerala's Alappuzha district. The state-owned, red-and-white-painted supermarket, called the Floating Triveni, has stationery, toiletries and provisions stacked on its shelves. Open from 8 am to 6 pm, it has eight staffers on board.