Australian chef de mission Steve Moneghetti has savaged the organisers of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, saying Australian marchers were treated like "cattle" in extreme heat.

An emotional Moneghetti, who has praised the way the trouble-plagued Games have run so far, fired his salvo at a press conference at the Games village this morning, more than 36 hours after the ceremony.

"We were treated like cattle," he said.

"It was disgraceful. I am not over exaggerating this situation."

He said the 254 Australians taking part in the athletes' parade arrived at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at 4:30pm (local time).

But they then had to wait under a marquee for two hours in hot conditions before being held in a furnace-like tunnel for another hour.

"That's one hour in absolute cauldron conditions," he said.

"It was unbearably hot so we pushed forward ... we revolted, rioted and moved another 50 metres forward to which we entered an area ... that was hotter."

He said there was no doubt the temperature inside the stifling tunnel was over 40 degrees Celsius.

"We were emotionally affected when we then burst out onto the arena," he said.

Moneghetti said the experience would jeopardise athlete participation in future opening ceremonies.

"It was with absolutely disregard for athlete welfare," he said.

"And so, so extreme that the athletes have lost confidence with the event organisers and it will impact on future Australian athlete involvement at the opening ceremony.

"I cannot be any stronger."

He said he had not spoken publicly about his anger towards the ceremony officials until now because he wanted to first take his complaint through proper channels.

"It's not fair to accuse the event organisers of that situation until I've had the opportunity to raise it with them first," he said.

The debacle is the latest in a string of bungles and concerns hanging over the Games, including the collapse of a pedestrian bridge outside the main stadium, the shooting of two tourists, shoddy conditions in the athletes' apartments and an outbreak of dengue fever.