The lockdown, backed by the presence of 100,000 police across Delhi comes as athletes were busy training for the Oct. 3-14 multi-sports event.
India will use an array of commandos, snipers and police to protect up to 8,000 athletes and officials staying at the Games Village accommodation hub.
"The guns are actually making me feel more comfortable," said Lauren Mitchell, a gymnast competing for Australia.
MiG fighter jets and armed helicopters would be on standby for the Games and Mi-35 attack
helicopters would be airborne during opening and closing ceremonies, the India Express daily said.
Mobile surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns have also been deployed.
India had hoped to use the Games to display its growing economic and political influence, rivalling neighbour China, which put on a spectacular 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
But an attack on Taiwanese tourists by suspected militants, a dengue fever epidemic, some filthy apartments in the athletes village, and the collapse of a footbridge injuring 27 workers has forced India on the defensive.
Venues are now finally coming into place with all 71 teams of the Commonwealth due to be in place by Thursday.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit reviewed the facilities at the Commonwealth Games Village on Wednesday and expressed satisfaction at the progress made.
The estimated $6 billion spent on the Games and infrastructure linked to it, including a new international airport, a metro system and flyover highways as well as the cleaning of the city, are still expected to give a boost.
SECURITY CONCERNS
Several top athletes have pulled out of the Games because of security and health concerns, although some have also decided to skip the competition because of injury.
India has long been a target for Pakistani-based militants, mainly fighting for against Indian rule in Kashmir, a Himalayan region. Homegrown militants have also carried out a series of bombings in recent years.
In a positive sign on the diplomatic front, Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna invited his Pakistani counterpart to attend the Games.
"Foreign Minister (Shah Mehmood) Qureshi is most welcome to witness some of the Games at least, and there again give us a chance... to continue the dialogue," S.M. Krishna told NDTV news channel in comments aired on Wednesday.
The two sides are trying to improve ties that plummetted after the 2008 Mumbai attacks which killed 166 people and derailed a sluggish four-year-old peace process with Pakistan.
Indian states are also on high alert on the eve of a ruling over whether Hindus or Muslims own land around the Babri mosque in northern India, a controversy that led to the deaths of some 2,000 people in 1992.
SEMENYA OUT
Caster Semenya, the women's 800 metres world champion, has withdrawn from the Games because of a back injury, dealing the event another blow, South Africa's Olympic body said.
The 19-year-old, cleared to compete in July after gender tests had put her career on hold since she won the world title in August 2009, has suffered serious lower back pain and has been uncomfortable in her last few races.
Teams were practicing in the sprawling Games Village, which, despite being criticised for the lack of cleanliness in some apartments, has extensive training facilities. The competition venues have also been praised.
"Great venues out there, the cycling stadium, the amazing wrestling acility. I have never seen a wrestling facility like this. The gymnastic venue was also terrific," said Steve Moneghetti, Chef-de-Mission for Australia.
High-profile athletes missing from the Games include world champion sprinter Usain Bolt, who said the event had come too late in the year, and Kenyan 800 metres world record holder David Rudisha, who blamed fatigue for his withdrawal.
Other athletes have pulled out citing health concerns surrounding dirty accommodation in the village while some have withdrawn because of fears over security.
In a boost for the Games, Isle of Man cyclist Mark Cavendish, a Tour de France stage winner and one of the world's best sprinters, said he would compete in the road race.
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